Business Comment 37

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Inspiring Digital Connectivity

A triple-accredited business school that’s around the corner... and around the world

Our MBA and Masters programmes are consistently ranked among the best in the UK – and around the world. And with a decade of triple accreditation perhaps that’s no great surprise. As Scotland’s number one business school, we understand the importance of global thinking. Education pioneers since 1966 with our MBA, we continue to introduce innovative business programmes to suit the demands of an evolving business world and we’ve extended our academic reach with centres in Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

Make Strathclyde your destination.

www.strath.ac.uk/business University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number sc015263

Introduction / Contents 03 Record public transport numbers 04 Market reform for water industry to Creating a tech savvy water industry 05 SMEs must embrace digital revolution 07 Growing an airport isn’t easy 08 Keep your company motoring 09 Port of Leith strengthens its position 12 How ScotRail is using social media 13 Feature: Digital Focus 19|23 Launch of Windows 10 - a success?

25 Getting your company in gear 26 Business adapting to the digital era? 27 Supporting The Digital Economy 34 Inspiring Digital Connectivity 36|39 Partners in Enterprise 41 Feature: Charity/Corporate Social 44|48 Responsibility Feature: Health and Wellbeing 50|52 British Airways Holidays: Delivering value 53 Getting Started/New Members 54 Ask the Expert 55 Feature: Green Vision 57 Be The Best/Get with IT 58 Feature: Conference Christmas Focus 60|61 Chamber Training 64 In the Spotlight 65 Inspiring Connections 68|69 Movers & Shakers 70

34

Edinburgh Napier University – Supporting The Digital Economy

04

38

Record public transport passenger numbers

Capital Opportunity To Connect To Superfast

Inspiring Digital Connectivity Welcome to the latest issue of Business Comment magazine.

Collaborating to create a vibrant and economically successful Capital City is at the heart of Chamber activity. In this issue we look at the digital connectivity of our Capital, and how that vital piece in our infrastructure jigsaw is helping shape our present and our future. We look at how businesses of all sizes and all sectors are harnessing the power of digital technology to open new markets and to engage better with their customers.

Standard Life tell us how they have reexamined everything from business processes to customer research, while Business Stream illustrate how the water industry and other utilities are becoming much more tech savvy to improve efficiency and better serve customers.

Napier University explain their innovative international Cyber Academy, designed to pull together all strands of society in the battle against criminal hackers, while PR experts Grayling demonstrate that many more businesses are failing to fully capitalise on the opportunities presented to reach out in the digital age.

We hear in detail from city-based Web Agency Primate on their own journey, which encapsulates their “dare to be different” approach to competing on the global digital stage, and City of Edinburgh Council urge businesses keen to upgrade to superfast broadband to take advantage of their cost reducing voucher scheme while it lasts!

As ever, the magazine also contains a range of news from members who continue to benefit from the increased reach and exclusivity of our Chamber activities.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all members to thank Alex MacLeod from Skanska for his contribution as President.

Alex has been a key driving force behind our progress in recent years, and under his stewardship the profile of our brand has grown significantly. At our recent AGM, Scott Black from FWB Park Brown Ltd has been appointed as our new President and we look forward to working together with all new members of our Board and Council.

Join Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Our membership base is truly multisector, multi-scale and multi- national.

As we develop our geographic reach, we continue to welcome new members who can enjoy exclusive benefits of being part of Scotland’s capital city Chamber of Commerce.

We would be delighted to share with you the benefits of joining.

David Birrell

Contact our dedicated membership team on 0131 221 2999 or e-mail leads@edinburghchamber.co.uk

Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce david.birrell@edinburghchamber.co.uk www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

Front cover image: studio image

October/November 2015

BC

3

CHAMBER NEWS

Record public transport passenger numbers More passengers than ever before travelled on Lothian Buses services in 2014. An extra three million passenger journeys were made, taking the total for the year to 118million.

Both companies maintained industry-leading customer satisfaction ratings.

4.92 million passengers travelled on Edinburgh Trams over the first 12 months of service which is around 370,000 ahead of the target set before launch.

The Transport for Edinburgh Group also launched its citysmart card that allows passengers to pre-purchase single and multiple bus and tram journeys before travelling, and completely redeveloped its flagship Travelshop on Waverley Bridge. Other highlights from the year include various Lothian Buses initiatives being successfully rolled out to incorporate trams. These include the mobile app, which was downloaded 200,000 times in 2014, and its sister mobile ticketing app, which generated £2m worth of sales over the 12 months.

Ian Craig, Chief Executive of Transport for Edinburgh said: “Transport for Edinburgh has achieved much in its first year and alongside successful performance at Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams can boast impressive passenger numbers and strong financial performance when compared against the business model.

We are especially pleased with how reliable and efficient the trams have proved to be, and that they are so highly rated by our passengers. This is down to the hard work of everyone involved and is something the team can take great pride in.”

Jim McFarlane, Chair and General Manager of Lothian Buses, said: “We’re pleased to report very high levels of performance and this is a justifiable source of pride for our people. As a company we are going through a period of change and we have committed to growth and further success. Our priority is to keep our focus firmly on the needs of our passengers so that we can continue providing excellent public transport for everyone who wants to get around Edinburgh and the Lothians.”

“We are especially pleased with how reliable and efficient the trams have proved to be, and that they are so highly rated by our passengers. This is down to the hard work of everyone involved and is something the team can take great pride in.”

4

BC October/November 2015

CHAMBER NEWS

Market reform set to create a more tech-savvy water industry

James Cardwell Moore, Commercial Director of Business Stream, sets out how market reform is set to create a more tech-savvy water industry…

Truth be told, the utilities sector, in particular water, is not necessarily the first that would spring to mind when thinking about digital innovation. It has a reputation for being conservative and it’s fair to say that there is considerable scope for the industry to take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology.

customers, as is evidenced by our experience in Scotland. First, our clients have benefited from more than £72m discount savings and almost £54m in water efficiency savings.

So, market reform will drive down costs and mean there is less scope for competition purely on price. Second, as a consequence of this, companies will need to increasingly distinguish their offering through the valueadded services they provide, as we do with everything from construction consultancy to temporary hire equipment. And, third, there will be much more emphasis on customer service, often within the digital space.

For our part, we have already adopted new approaches to help improve our efficiency and serve our customers more effectively. But the water industry as a whole is about to be shaken up in a way that means all companies will need to look for smarter, digital ways of working.

One recent development of ours has been to implement fast-feedback technology provided by customer engagement specialists Rant and Rave. Launched in January, we’ve already received around 10,000 comments, captured in near real-time on the phone, by text or by email. As well as helping us to respond quickly and effectively, the service’s sentiment analysis provides a rich insight to our customers’ experiences.

In 2008, Scotland created the world’s first fully open market for non-domestic water and waste water services – a market we were created to serve. Now, England is gearing up to do likewise, and all companies there will be able to choose their supplier from 2017.

Business Stream customers can also use our free app, allowing them to view their bills, submit meter readings and more. For us, it’s all about providing them with options to manage their relationship with us in the most convenient way.

This will have several major implications for the 18 regional monopolies there, and their

Finally, at the ‘business end’ of what we do, the automated meter readers that we install

on customer’s water meters can quickly spot burst pipes or leaks before they occur by taking readings every 15 minutes and automatically alerting customers to any drops in water flow.

All companies that want to thrive, or even survive, in the new competitive market will have to be ambitious in their use of technology. Readers of Business Comment may remember we recently published some research on what it means to be bold in business and how it’s linked to success. That philosophy will be crucial for our industry as we look to meet the growing expectations of our customers through digital solutions; I suspect it’s true for many others too.

October/November 2015

BC

5

Scott House, Mid New Cultins West One Business Park Edinburgh, EH11 4DH

T: 0131 458 4255 F: 0131 458 4254 E: edinburgh@sir-robert-mcalpine.com

Find out more at www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com

Quartermile Development

6

BC October/November 2015

CHAMBER NEWS

Scottish SMEs must embrace the digital revolution to stay on top

By Alan Coats, Senior Manager, SME Banking, Bank of Scotland The digital revolution shows no signs of abating with up to three in five adults now owning a smart phone, according to the latest OfCom figures. It is imperative that businesses respond to this trend and use it to their own advantage. With customers tapping into 24 hour web access, whether at home or on the move, businesses need to fully exploit the opportunity for increased sales and enhanced customer service.

According to Bank of Scotland’s Business Digital Index, more small to medium-sized Scottish businesses are reaping the benefits of being digitally enabled. The research showed that SMEs were one third more likely to report an increase in turnover in the past two years compared to their less digitally matured counterparts.

Despite this, there remains a ‘digital blindspot’ for some SMEs that still do not understand the benefits of digital technology.

Over a quarter (27 per cent) of all Scottish organisations surveyed believed digital is ‘irrelevant’ to them.

If we look at wider industry trends it has never been so important for businesses to embrace digital channels as consumers become increasingly tied to handheld devices. According to an IMRG report from earlier this year, visits to e-commerce sites via smartphone and tablet devices accounted for 45 per cent of all e-commerce traffic in the UK. This means businesses that are not smart phone savvy could be missing out on vital sales and revenue.

In Scotland, SMEs are making slow but steady progress when it comes to digital adoption with 6,654 more businesses implementing basic digital skills over the past 12 months.

Whilst this is a very promising result, Scottish SMEs currently score lower that the UK average with the Scottish Index Score awarding 96 out of 102 points.

Despite the multiple benefits of being online, the index revealed that many Scottish SMEs are holding back for attitudinal rather than practical reasons, with 27 per cent believing they have done all they can to get online and a staggering quarter believing that doing more online isn’t relevant to their business.

Scottish businesses should embrace digital innovation and see these platforms as new gateways; capable of unlocking a host of benefits. These include opportunities for increased revenue, the ability to open up services to a much wider audience and realtime insights on competitor activity.

In an increasingly globalised marketplace, one would have expected most organisations to be operating in the digital village. Surprisingly only 13 per cent of organisations are using their website for e-commerce. Unless companies put right this missed opportunity many will be unable to kick on to their next stage.

Implementing changes in an organisation can be time-consuming and challenging, so every business needs to adapt and tailor any digital strategy to suit operational and customer needs.

With a clear correlation between the digital capability of an organisation and its success, the need for businesses to ensure they are properly dialled up for digital has never been greater. The digital age is here and businesses that don’t embrace it risk being left behind.

October/November 2015

BC

7

CHAMBER NEWS

Growing an airport isn’t easy

- Particularly when the airport needs to grow at some pace

An airport is a big thing, and I don’t just mean physically.

Edinburgh Airport supports around 8000 jobs. It’s the main portal for a large part of our country’s visitors and it’s a major conduit for our country’s growth.

Its influence reaches many communities in Scotland.

Processing over 1.2 million passengers per month in a country of 5 million means that this airport touches nearly everyone in the country. Everyone has a view over what the airport is, what it should be and what flights it should provide.

A lot of our job is providing the infrastructure and the environment, both in terms of commerciality and service, for airlines to flourish at Edinburgh.

That gives us what we all want – choice and connectivity. And that choice and connectivity, if done properly, brings growth.

Its growth that we’ve been wrestling with in 2015, whether in managing our security hall or check in process, or outwith the airport, our current departure route trial.

Put simply – we are growing because of Scotland’s and Edinburgh’s success and have a responsibility to provide the capacity to accommodate that success.

This trial, which sees around 13% of our departures routed north over Uphall, threading though the area between

8

BC October/November 2015

Linlithgow and Queensferry before following the Forth as they climb and turn south over Mussleburgh at around 13,000 feet.

It’s our growth departure route, servicing the new and growing destinations in Europe, the Middle East that our passengers and our partners tell us that they want. The much discussed China route, for example, would use this departure route.

Our terminal was built almost 40 years ago and was designed for 1 million passengers a year. As we do more that in that in a month in the summer peaks, we’ve had to build and grow the facility.

Equally, we need to look at the airspace around the airport. It too was created 40 years ago and it too needs upgraded. And like any new infrastructure such as new roads or railways, the impact of that upgrade needs to be balanced against the communities it affects, hence the trial.

It’s difficult. We certainly don’t want to disrupt people and we know that this trial is disrupting the lives of a number of residents along the new flight path. They don’t care, understandably, about the economic and capacity challenges that we’re wrestling with.

But we have to explore the ways of how we can continue to grow and provide Scots with the destinations and the visitors that we require to be successful as an outward looking country.

We’ve worked hard to make sure that the flightpath affects the least amount of communities. Where possible, it uses current flight paths and flies over rural areas and water.

But inevitably, there are some communities, particularly Uphall, Dechmont and Ochiltree that are being affected by noise.

Residents and MSPs have been critical of us about the fact that this trail wasn’t preceded by a full consultation. I can understand this view but we need to do the trial to have a firm proposal to consult on. We’re operating the trial under Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidelines and its content with the way we’re going about it. The trial looks allows us to test the flyability of the route in terms of the criteria set down by the CAA. Noise is a major aspect of this and we are measuring it and tracking every plane.

We’ve a permanent noise monitor at Broxburn and we have a mobile monitor that we’re moving to spots along the route. It’s been in Ochiltree; it’s now in Broxburn.

The gathers information on who exactly is affected and how they are. All feedback is being logged and replied to and will be submitted to the CAA to be used as part of their deliberations on whether we can move to a full Airspace Consultation Process. It’s at that point that we’ll have a firm proposal to take to communities and their representatives and will conduct a full consultation, using the data gathered at this trial period to make sure we fully understand the impact of any airspace change on local communities.

It’s also then that we can begin to be creative in terms of noise mitigation and compensation should it be required.

We understand that an international airport can be a difficult neighbour, especially one that is growing. But I can assure you that we’re working hard to balance the effects of that growth on those that live close to us.

By Gordon Dewar CEO, Edinburgh Airport

MEMBER BENEFITS

Keep your company motoring with Chamber Roadside Assistance – and enjoy up to 63% discount off AA UK Breakdown Cover services every year with our exclusive Chamber offer

Edinburgh ExEcutivE carriagEs

Our traditional British winters create challenging driving conditions and related issues for business small and large.

As part of your business resolutions for 2015, now is the perfect time to make sure you’re getting the best rate possible for breakdown and roadside assistance on your company cars and other vehicles – as well as keeping you and your driving staff safely on the road throughout the wintry months ahead.

Last year Chamber members across the UK saved hundreds of thousands of pounds with Chamber Roadside Assistance, one of our most popular Chamber benefits.

If you want to know more about the scheme, which covers cars and many of specialist vehicles, why not give us a call at the Chamber?

Further information is available from the membership team on 0131 221 2999 or e-mail membershipadmin@edinburghchamber.co.uk

Executive Business Travel • Airport Transfers Golfing Trips • Sightseeing Tours Weddings • Special Occasions Telephone: 0131 644 3034 E-mail: enquiries@edinburghexecutivecarriages.co.uk www.edinburghexecutivecarriages.co.uk

October/November 2015

BC

9

Want practical advice for your business?

Business Gateway know how valuable the right advice can be to the success of a business.

Call 0131 529 6644 to book your free appointment and get advice on: • • • •

Sales Marketing Sources of finance HR issues

• • • •

Business planning Cash flows Exporting E-commerce

Find out how else we can help your business at www.bgateway.com/edinburgh 0131 529 6644 bglothian@bgateway.com www.bgateway.com/edinburgh

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the 10 BC October/November August/September 2015 support of associated partner organisations. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

Best Airline in the Middle East World’s Best Business Class Seat

Airline of the Year

Proud to be voted the

World’s Best Airline

We are proud to be voted the World’s Best Airline of the Year by a group of extremely important people. Our passengers.

On behalf of everyone at Qatar Airways, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the millions of people who voted for us.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard Qatar Airways for a truly rewarding experience from departure to arrival.

World’s 5-star airline.

qatarairways.co.uk * Skytrax is acknowledged as a truly global, independent aviation industry monitor. Results of the 2015 World Airline Awards are derived from millions of passenger surveys involving travellers from 160 different countries.

October/November 2015

BC

11

CHAMBER NEWS

Digital Creativity

By Colin Loveday, Managing Director of 4G Scotland

Port of Leith strengthens its position as a construction logistics hub The Port of Leith plays a vital role in many important sectors in Scotland including North Sea Oil & Gas and agriculture, and now with the increase in major construction and redevelopment activities in and around the city of Edinburgh, the port is seeking to further strengthen its position as a construction logistics hub for both the demolition and clearance of existing buildings and the development of these projects.

The port, owned by Forth Ports, is seeking to develop more land at the port to provide further opportunities for more construction logistics activities and also to support the growing North Sea Oil & Gas activity at the port. Forth Ports are seeking permission from Edinburgh City Council and Historic Scotland for the de-listing and demolition of the Imperial Grain warehouse (silo) at the port. The grain silo, which was built in 1934, has been out of use for nine years and is no longer relevant for today’s modern port environment. The removal of the silo would provide in excess of 40 acres of land for development.

A number of companies working for the construction industry are already based at Leith and are using the port as a base for City Centre work for example Dem Master, Scotland’s leading demolition business, chose Leith as the ideal location for their specialist recycling hub for waste materials from demolition projects which are sorted and recycled at the port. Aggregate Industries also operate a batching plant at the port and are looking to expand their operation further.

Cemex are also based at the port and provide a dedicated facility for the import of cement.

Basing a logistics hub in Leith, with its close proximity to the city centre, is not only a good environmental solution by removing lengthy truck movements out with the city, but coupled with the land offering and excellent logistics infrastructure saves projects time and money.

Stuart Wallace, Divisional Director at Forth Ports said: “It’s great to see so much construction and redevelopment activity in the City of Edinburgh. With this growing market, the Port of Leith is well placed to support the large scale projects happening in the city at the moment known as the Edinburgh 12. Locating a base at the port makes sense and the short distance from the city centre of Edinburgh to Leith can limit the impact of this activity on the city and the environment. By achieving a successful grain silo delisting and demolition application we can offer more land for this sector which in turn would create a further positive economic impact for the area.”

12

BC October/November 2015

I have just spent three weeks avoiding digital technology and going back to nature, surfing and camping with the family so it was a struggle to provide an insight of the latest trends and developments given how fast the digital world moves. So based on the old adage “write what you know” I want to shine a light on a recent experience involving digital creativity delivered by a group of 7 to 11 year olds at an event visited just prior to picking up a surfboard and pulling a whole new set of muscles.

Time to Shine Digital was a pilot at the DCA in Dundee during June funded by Creative Scotland where a number of children and parents explored a range of creative skills and applied or linked them to digital kit such as, Makey Makey, Pico Boards, graphics tablets, open source software such as Unity and Blender. I went as a parent supporting my 10 year old son just to see how big the gulf was in my perceived knowledge and his actual digital knowledge!

The day involved combining Scratch programing learned by the group in their weekly Code Club with other creative tools to just make fun stuff. It was a revelation.

One Girl started by drawing a cartoon character on a screen. She then used this to create both a 3D digital model and moulded a plasticine character. The 3D model was then put into the scratch program and coded a game. Using various tools controlled the games character through placing ones fingers on electrodes that she rigged to make it run and jump. She then used the plasticine model to create a stop go animation which was added to the game to provide the total gaming experience. Drew, animated, coded and packaged a game in under two hours. She is 10 years old.

I left conflicted. On the one hand amazed and uplifted by the creativity and application that she and the others displayed but also feeling that maybe I should have applied myself a little more at her age! One thing for sure is the positive benefit this activity produced. The challenge is providing these opportunities for all children in Scotland. Code Clubs are run using volunteers and often massively over subscribed and in need of funds to supply the equipment. If we are to compete with emerging economies in the future for high value jobs its vital that this cohort and younger are given every chance to experience digital creativity to hopefully light that spark that inspires a career in creating, not just using technology.

You don’t have to look too far to see the obvious link to the high production values of the games created for the Dare to be Digital proto play event in Dundee run by Abertay University. Teams of undergraduates compete to produce the best games tested by the public over 4 days in August. We are in the midst of very exciting digital times and supporting initiatives such as these and widening the opportunity to the whole population can only provide positive benefits for the future of our country.

CHAMBER NEWS

How ScotRail is using social media to transform its relationship with customers From reuniting musicians with their lost ukuleles to reporting photos of runaway cows on the tracks, no two days are ever the same for ScotRail’s social media team.

ScotRail’s five dedicated social customer service agents are the ‘go-to’ first point of contact for many rail customers - fielding an average of 3,000 Twitter and Facebook messages every week from the company’s Glasgow headquarters. And these volumes can rocket by up to 2,000% on the rare occasions when there is major disruption on the network, such as during extreme winter storms.

Interest in ScotRail’s accounts has also grown exponentially, with about 100 new Twitter followers a day, and almost 150,000 people following ScotRail’s five social feeds.

And with a 64% year-on-year growth in inbound messages to ScotRail, it’s clear that every new generation of rail customers will expect more.

One in four UK social media users speak with companies via social media, and ScotRail has worked hard to position itself to meet the demands of this growing audience; including recruiting two full-time social media managers.

Social customer care is available from 6am10pm Monday to Friday, and 10am-10pm Saturday and Sunday – with opening hours often extended at busy times such as the Edinburgh Festivals or Six Nations.

The importance of social media is understood at all levels of the business. Themes, response rates and volumes are reported weekly to directors and senior managers. And praise and feedback is regularly shared with frontline teams.

ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster even recently spent an afternoon behind the keyboard alongside the Customer Engagement Team, and says he learned a lot from the experience.

Mr Verster said: “I was really impressed by how fast our staff were able to provide accurate, friendly answers to an incredibly wide range of questions.

“Offering quick tweeted responses about train times or ticket details might seem like a small thing, but when you’re conducting thousands of these conversations each week, it really helps build quality, trusted relationships with customers.

“We’re focused on putting the customer first in everything we do – and that includes meeting the huge growth in demand for immediate two-way conversations via social media.”

timed attempts at humour, backfiring in very public ways.

And inevitably many comments received by transport companies are negative. Few people are likely to tweet about their train arriving on time.

Far from just seeing social media as a customer service tool, ScotRail is proactively using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn to promote its latest campaigns, products and investments. For example, it advertised Modern Apprenticeship posts via LinkedIn this summer, raised awareness of the Winchburgh tunnel closure with YouTube videos, and is using Pinterest to reach niche audiences interested in steam train services.

However, ScotRail has also been pleasantly surprised by the growing amount of praise it receives for its services, and pleasingly, its employees. Sharing these comments boosts staff morale – as well as the brand’s reputation.

For example, this summer a customer posted a photo on Facebook of conductor Paul Stewart offering excellent customer service to a disorientated elderly customer. The picture went viral - liked more than 31,000 times and shared by 1,600 people across the globe resulting in excellent media coverage.

Rob Shorthouse, ScotRail’s client and communications director, said “Unlike conventional marketing and PR, the growth in social media is encouraging the transport industry to engage in two-way conversations.

I view social media as a real opportunity to go beyond simply telling our story, and instead gain valuable feedback that helps us further improve our services.“We’ve made great progress on this, but I am excited about the potential for future further growth in this field.

Danny Carden, ScotRail’s social media strategy manager, said such successes show that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks for transport companies.

He said: “It can obviously be daunting to handle so many customer enquiries in full view of customers, stakeholders and the media.

“For example, we’re already looking at using internal social media systems to engage with staff, apps such as Strava to boost our cycle hire schemes, and possibly even using live video platforms such as Periscope in future to broadcast from events.”

“But social media also offers new, engaging ways to showcase that we really do put customers at the heart of everything we do – whether that’s offering top class customer service, launching exciting new products or enhancing our trains and stations.”

Obviously, social media is not without its risks.

Several companies have had their fingers burned – with poorly-worded posts, or ill-

October/November 2015

BC

13

FOCUS ON: RECRUITMENT

ADVERTORIAL

IT expert calls for improved digital connectivity in rural areas These are exciting times in the digital sector.

Broadband speeds are increasing at a rapid rate, more and more businesses are benefiting from better connectivity and cities like Edinburgh are increasingly referring to themselves as digitally future-proofed.

All good news, yes? Lots of new jobs?

Well, only up to a point, according to Gareth Biggerstaff, who started Edinburgh technology and digital recruitment company Be-IT Resourcing in 2013.

Gareth says that satisfaction at improving connectivity in cities like Edinburgh can divert attention away from the problems faced by people working outside urban boundaries.

He fears that, although more people are working from home in rural areas and now use collaborative technology to communicate, they often find themselves bedevilled by slow broadband speeds, inadequate capacities, blackspots or simply no connection at all.

Despite his concerns, he is very encouraged by the scenario in cities, pointing as an example to the news that CityFibre has just extended its existing Gigabit City project in Edinburgh to an additional 294 council-owned sites in

14

BC October/November 2015

an agreement worth at least £5.6 million. The deal, which will be carried out with national telecommunications provider Commsworld, will replace the expensive, capacityconstrained copper circuits provided as part of a long-term contract by BT.

Others agree. According to the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s recent Digital Scotland report, speeds increase by a factor of eight every five years but many rural areas lag well behind.

The report says that Scotland needs an ambitious strategy to close the gap.

Gareth said: “This is brilliant news and we are increasingly seeing towns and cities that are future-proofed, well connected with fast speeds and large broadband capacities and the ability to be flexible.

Gareth said: “What worries me is that more and more companies are allowing staff to work from home or are finding ways of working with contractors online in rural areas, which is good news, but poor digital connectivity makes that very difficult.

“That is welcome news and means that cities like Edinburgh are well placed to take advantage of the growth in digital technology.

“My big concern is not with our urban areas, though, it is with our rural areas. Scotland is a good example of the challenges with one third of the UK land mass and just c10%per cent of the population, which means that digital connectivity in rural areas is crucial.”

“If you need to communicate with your office or your client via the Internet, poor connectivity is a real problem.

“We have got to make sure that areas like Central Scotland and Fife are well connected, particularly since all the indicators point to a rapid growth in the digital sector over the next few years as companies begin to feel more confident after the recession.

ADVERTORIAL

FOCUS ON: RECRUITMENT

Gareth Biggerstaff

”There will be plenty of job opportunities but, unless we improve connectivity in rural areas, many people will not be able to take advantage of them.”

Nevertheless, according to Gareth, there has never been a better time to consider a career in IT. With technology increasingly integrated into everything we do, skilled practitioners from heads of department to operators are much in demand.

Having spent 20 years specialising in recruiting technologists in the UK and Europe, Gareth created his business in 2013 with a new way of working because he was frustrated by the industry’s ‘languid’ approach to recruitment.

Gareth said: “The old model, which is particularly prevalent during the recession, was to place an advert for a job and wait. We are much more active and identify the people who would be ideal for the job, rather than hoping that they come forward.

“Many professionals today aren’t actually looking for their next dream job. They’re already receiving a good salary and are valued by their employer and do not necessarily wish to take on a new challenge. During the recent recession, many of them did not dare to move anyway.

“What happens when recessions end is you get an initial surge of people who wanted to move and were holding on for the economy to improve. That has ended now and what we do is reach people who might not even read job adverts. We tap them on the shoulder and help them consider the benefits of seeking a new challenge.”

Gareth said: “We are continuing to grow and plan to open a London office next year followed by one in Europe to help us expand in countries like Germany.”

Gareth Biggerstaff Gareth.biggerstaff@be-itresourcing.com 0131 344 4778 www.be-itresourcing.com

The approach has worked and Be-IT has grown to become one of the new leaders in IT and digital recruitment with an enviable list of preferred supplier agreements across sectors including banking, digital, software, consultancy, manufacturing, logistics, government, financial services and oil and gas.

October/November 2015

BC

15

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

An audit of your email effectiveness from every angle

16

BC October/November 2015

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

Are you sure your emails are effective?

If you’re not profiling and segmenting your customers, optimising for every device and taking advantage of the latest innovations, your most powerful marketing tool isn’t up to scratch.

The undisputed champion of business communication, email delivers the highest returns on investment of any marketing channel. It can maximise your customers’ lifetime values, improve loyalty, increase engagement and streamline your entire customer journey. But to reap the rewards, you need to know how to use it effectively. At STEEL, we have decades of experience in doing exactly that.

With our Email 360° audit, we assess your existing email strategy from every angle – relevance, compatibility and creativity. We’ll give you a comprehensive report that tells you exactly how to release your marketing’s potential. And if you like, our team of experts can carry out the changes for you.

Reclaim the revenue you’re missing out on.

Contact the email effectiveness experts today.

0131 618 6878 john.warburton@steeledinburgh.com

STEELEDINBURGH.COM RESULTS. CREATED.

BC 17 October/November 2015

Join the pure-fibre revolution Plug in and supercharge your business The Edinburgh CORE is a gigabit speed, pure fibre network bringing ultra-fast internet connectivity to businesses in Edinburgh Pure-fibre connection directly to your premises Benefit from smart, cost-saving VoIP technology Make the most of the latest cloud applications and services Future proof your business

18

Register today at Edinburghcore.com BC October/November 2015

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Deal extends digital revolution in Edinburgh A major project to improve Edinburgh’s digital connectivity has taken an important step forward with the news that it has become the UK’s largest pure fibre metro roll-out.

The public and private sector have been working together to transform Edinburgh’s digital infrastructure to help the city respond to opportunities provided by Scotland’s burgeoning digital economy.

In the latest move, CityFibre has announced that it has extended its existing Gigabit City project in the city to an additional 294 council-owned sites in an agreement worth at least £5.6 million.

The seven-year deal will be carried out in conjunction with national telecommunications provider Commsworld and will replace the expensive, capacity-constrained copper circuits provided as part of a long-term contract by BT. The contract is part of a wider £186 million outsourced ICT procurement programme for the council won by global ICT firm CGI, that will create the single largest pure fibre city roll-out in the UK. When the work is completed in 12 months, the total number of connected buildings on

the network will exceed 500. Construction teams already deployed on the Edinburgh Ricky Nicol, CEO of Commsworld, said: “The reach and benefits of this network will have a hugely positive impact on Edinburgh as a whole but this would not be possible without CityFibre’s investment in the fibre infrastructure that will allow Edinburgh to become one of the best connected cities in the world. Ultrafast, gigabit connectivity appeals hugely to digitally dependant businesses and this is only going to grow with time. It will soon become the standard, driving productivity, innovation and the bottom line.”

CORE will help ensure that the rollout is dramatically accelerated and that the technology is available to even more public sector, businesses and mobile cell sites.

Sites to benefit from CityFibre’s investment will include council offices, community centres and libraries and 137 primary and secondary schools will also benefit from increased bandwidth, up to 50-100 times faster.

Edinburgh’s 17,000 businesses also stand to benefit as the network grows to areas like The Gyle, which was not included in the first phase city-centre roll-out.

And Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre said: “In a matter of months, CityFibre’s partnership with Commsworld has begun a truly transformational infrastructure project in the city. With thriving financial, tech and media sectors, Edinburgh’s businesses are poised to take advantage of a digital headstart, providing them with a competitive advantage at home and abroad. As the world’s bandwidth consumption is set to triple in the next four years, Edinburgh is in an advantageous position to capitalise on the continued shift towards a digital economy.”

For all those involved, the potential is immense and they say that the city-wide fibre network will transform Edinburgh into one of the best connected cities on the planet, enabling world-class connectivity, a key aim of the Scottish Government for the country’s towns and cities.

Cllr Alasdair Rankin, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee at Edinburgh City Council, said: “One of the exciting things CGI will do through its chosen partners, including CityFibre and Commsworld, is speed up our move to greater online capability giving residents and businesses greater flexibility to engage with the Council and carry out their transactions digitally.”

@EdinCORE www.edinburghcore.com

October/November 2015

BC

19

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

Senior representative from CGI and City of Edinburgh Council meet to sign contracts in Edinburgh L to R - Tim Gregory (President, CGI UK), Steve Thorn (Senior Vice President, UK Public Sector, CGI), Andrew Kerr (Chief Executive, CEC) and Michael E. Roach (President and CEO, CGI)

CGI – taking Edinburgh into a new digital age Few cities are as advanced in their move towards full digital connectivity as Edinburgh and at the heart of the revolution is the pioneering work being done by global player CGI. City of Edinburgh Council has acknowledged the company’s excellence by selecting CGI to deliver a new ICT contract worth £186m over seven years, which promises to deliver new ways of working.

The decision reflects the council’s determination to ensure that only are its digital systems are as effective as possible but also that residents are able to access services online in a convenient way.

It’s the latest success for CGI. Founded in 1976, the CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world.

Its 68,000 professionals, including a team in Edinburgh, serve thousands of global clients from offices and delivery centres across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Together they provide a comprehensive portfolio of services, including high-end

20

BC October/November 2015

business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management and a wide range of proprietary solutions.

CGI will update ICT systems across all council service areas and automate and integrate back-office processes, while also saving money.

What makes the Edinburgh agreement special is the way it brings together the public and private sectors in a partnership for the benefit of both.

In addition, the programme will support the creation of 221 new jobs and 60 modern apprenticeships in Edinburgh.

The contract in Edinburgh is seen as a perfect of example of what the company can achieve and it is estimated that the programme will save the council a minimum of £45m over term of contract.

Worth an additional £46m thanks to provision of further essential services at no extra cost, the contract will see secondary schools to receive up to 50 times greater bandwidth and primary schools up to 100 times greater, seen as a crucial development as more learning materials are online.

In addition, the new contract will smooth the way for the next phase of the council’s channel shift programme, which is about moving customers to the most efficient and suitable communications channel for their needs.

This includes encouraging residents to engage with the council and carry out their transactions online and CGI will use its expertise to ensure that the process goes smoothly.

Local businesses will benefit as well. As part of CGI’s SME Accelerate programme, local small/medium enterprises (SMEs) will be included in CGI’s supply chain and these opportunities will increase over the lifetime of the contract.

Indeed, the programme will provide opportunities for local SMEs to work with CGI to introduce digital and social media services as part of the city council’s Digital by Desire strategy Another exciting part of the programme is the search for new ideas.

In order to support City of Edinburgh Council’s aim to establish itself as leader in local government innovation and adoption of digital platforms to include all citizens and takeholders, CGI will contribute to a

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

“We are delighted to partner with the City of Edinburgh Council as we embark together on this journey to enable the digital transformation of public services throughout Edinburgh.”

Steve Thorn, SVP CGI UK Public Sector

jointly financed innovation fund, which will explore new ideas, and pilot new technology for the benefit of the council and the citizens of Edinburgh.

Collaboration is the watchword for the agreement. Edinburgh is the first local authority in Scotland to propose a contract which could be used by more than 50 other public sector organisations and CGI is proposing to place business worth 25 per cent of the value of the contract with the SME sector.

Steve Thorn, SVP CGI UK Public Sector, said: “We are delighted to partner with the City of Edinburgh Council as we embark together on this journey to enable the digital transformation of public services throughout Edinburgh.

“This is an ambitious programme that will change the way citizens access and use public services and will introduce new ways of working for the council’s employees, ultimately making their jobs more productive and satisfying.

move to delivering digital public services.”

“CGI has an established business hub in Edinburgh and we will be expanding to create more jobs to support our engagement with the City of Edinburgh Council and its public sector partners.

“These roles will cover a wide range of areas and responsibilities from experienced ICT, networking, digital and cyber security professionals, to the creation of over 60 modern apprentices to provide school leavers with the exciting opportunities of a career in ICT with CGI.” Maggie Morrison, Business Development Director, Scotland Public Sector, CGI, said: “This is a very exciting time to be leading CGI’s Public Sector business in Scotland. The City of Edinburgh Council contract could become a platform not only to transform the delivery of services but also to achieve economies of scale and provide shared services for a number Local Authorities and other public sector partners here.”

“This programme will pave the way to improve service delivery more cost effectively that will be a benchmark for other local authorities in the

Maggie Morrison

October/November 2015

BC

21

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

Fast-growing business supports increased connectivity When it comes to improving Scotland’s digital connectivity, the market leader has long been acknowledged as BT. Helping the company maintain that coveted primary position is a group of dynamic smaller businesses who promote its products to a wide range of customers, many of them businesses.

Practical Telecom, based in Livingston, is one such company and has grown rapidly in the past six months as its expert team helps more and more customers to access the opportunities presented by BT’s rapid technological advancements.

“As the move towards digital connectivity gathers pace in places like Edinburgh and Southern Scotland, we are becoming ever busier.”

The business, which covers a large area, including Edinburgh, the Lothians and Southern Scotland, has grown from six staff to thirty six as it increases its client base, many of them small businesses seeking to improve their digital effectiveness.

Practical Telecom is a one-stop shop for companies wishing to improve their connectivity and the team deals in everything from phone lines and broadband to the rapid advances in Cloud technologies and handheld mobile devices.

Managing director David Hodge said: “As the move towards digital connectivity gathers pace in places like Edinburgh and Southern Scotland, we are becoming ever busier.

“BT is a leader in communications technology and our team take customers through the options available to them. It’s as much about explaining the opportunities as anything.”

One of the major initiatives which the business promotes is the Broadband Connection Vouchers scheme, which is designed to help businesses finance the improvements that they need to make.

Vouchers are being delivered by 50 cities across the UK. Each local scheme is designed to meet the needs of their local area and to help local businesses to grow and develop.

The scheme provides a £3,000 grant to help with the cost of installing leased line technology. A leased line is a copper or fibre connection providing a data service with a Service Level Agreement, which could, for example, cover download speeds and repair times.

22

BC October/November 2015

David said: “The Voucher scheme is an excellent one but a lot of businesses do not realise that it is there or, if they have heard of it, they do not realise what it can do for them.

opportunities that technology offers them.”

You can contact the company’s expert team at david.hodge@btlocalbusiness.co.uk or on 01506 426100/07483 127639

“Part of our role is to promote the vouchers and show customers how they can be best applied to bring about the improvements in their digital connectivity that they need to achieve.

Practical Telecom, Stadium House, Alderstone Road, Livingston EH54 7DN

“You only have to look at the exciting things happening in places like Edinburgh to see that businesses have to embrace the

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Unlocking the potential of cloud computing Cloud-based technology is now integrated with daily business life. Implemented strategically, computing in the Cloud has the potential to be transformative.

focus on the customer, with investment to improve their processes or add new service offerings. By re-architecting their systems to take full advantage of the flexibility of cloud computing, they can deliver more, and grow faster.

Before embracing Cloud-based technologies, it is important to find out how best it will suit your needs and ensure it will support your organisation’s workflow. It is important to think through the steps you need to take to ensure the project will be successful. And that is something we have a lot of experience with.

Using Dropbox, or any one of thousands of similar Software as a Service (SaaS) tools, is a classic example of where this convenience and simplicity is self-evident. These applications are remarkably easy to use and allow you to get on with your job, leaving all the worrying about supporting, securing and maintaining the service to someone else.

Moving your own systems to the cloud represents a second-stage of cloud computing. We have seen that moving systems from on-premise hardware to cloudbased can reduce capital expenditure while at the same time increase resilience and, sometimes provide more security than your own on-premises.

The truly transformative gains appear when

Cloud-based technology can unlock potential. For an informal discussion of how Cloud could positively impact your business, contact Aileen Boyle on 0131 225 8199 or email aileen.boyle@escrivo.com

you start to think about using cloud platforms to re-architect your existing systems for scalability and growth. Moreover, cloud computing is so flexible, you don’t need to be an enterprise-sized organisation to make the best use of Cloud architecture - SMEs can take advantage too.

www.escrivo.com

Our clients want to accelerate the growth of their businesses. Typically this means more

ADVERTORIAL

Broadband Connection Voucher scheme Fed up with a flaky internet connection?

Tired of tedious downloads?

Better business broadband is cheaper than ever. And now, with the broadband connection voucher scheme it’s easy to get up to speed.

Your business could get a grant of up to £3,000 to upgrade to faster, better broadband through the government’s Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme. The scheme provides grants of up to £3,000 to cover the capital and equipment costs of upgrading your broadband connection. You pay the VAT charged and the monthly line rental to your service provider. The monthly costs

vary by provider and package, but a quarter of businesses pay £40 per month or less.

The scheme has been launched in 50 cities across the UK and businesses in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Scottish Borders could be eligible for a voucher if they use one of the hundreds of registered suppliers.

n Increasing security through fast secure back-up of data n Increasing productivity and improving customer service through faster upload and download speeds n Upgrading your broadband will also help to future-proof your business for the digital challenges of tomorrow

Benefits to your business as a result of faster, better broadband include:

Over 700 businesses in the region have already got their voucher.

To find out more and apply visit www.connectionvouchers.co.uk.

n Growing and accessing new markets through better communication with customers and suppliers

October/November 2015

BC

23

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

24

BC October/November 2015

BUSINESS NEWS

Windows 10 targets seamless connectivity across all devices

But experts urge businesses to resist an immediate upgrade Even by Microsoft’s standards, July’s launch of Windows 10 was high profile. Some say the software giant had no choice. Following a lukewarm response to Windows 8 and 8.1, with Internet Explorer’s share of the browser market whittled down to single figures and facing fierce competition in the mobile market from Apple and Google, Windows 10 has even been referred to as a ‘make or break’ release for a brand whose dominance was once taken as read.

Microsoft heralded a ‘new era of computing’ and the new features unveiled in Windows 10 were significant. The return of the ‘Start Button’ may have grabbed the headlines but Cortana, the new digital personal assistant, the Edge browser which replaces IE and a clear vision for ‘multi device support’ are all indicative of deep, underlying innovation in terms of connectivity and collaboration.

Now, whether you’re running a desktop PC, a tablet, a smartphone, a Raspberry Pi or an Xbox One, Microsoft is committed to making

the same personal experience available to you across all Windows 10 devices.

practice has always been to await the first service pack, allowing time for any initial bugs and security vulnerabilities to be identified and patched.

Satya Nadella, the company’s chief executive, summed this strategy up as follows: “Windows 10 is built for a world where nearly everything is digitally mediated. Windows 10 is built for a world where there are going to be more devices on the planet than people.”

But the automatic update feature in Windows 10 adds a new dimension this time around because you cannot switch it off, so once you have upgraded to Windows 10, there is no turning back. What’s more, any hardware incompatibilities or patchy support from third party business applications is likely to cause ongoing downtime with no simple fix.

But what do we make of the expected free upgrade being offered to users of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 (albeit limited to 12 months and excluding business volume licensing)?

Microsoft has committed to providing support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 until at least January 2020 and January 2023 respectively, so there is plenty of time to perform the necessary compatibility audits and plan your move to Windows 10, which is precisely what Condies IT will be doing for its clients.

Is this a sign of desperation on Microsoft’s part? No, certainly not. Instead, it is part of a carefully crafted strategy designed to gain maximum market penetration as quickly as possible and usher in Windows 10 ‘as a service’. This new model will ensure its new operating system can be automatically updated across the widest range of hardware platforms the corporation has ever targeted.

Ian McBride Managing Director e: ian.mcbride@condiesit.co.uk

Then why are so many experts advising UK businesses against downloading Windows 10? Well, let’s be clear. Condies is not saying ‘never’ – simply ‘not yet’ to this exciting new system. As with all previous OS releases, best

October/November 2015

BC

25

BUSINESS NEWS

Getting your company in gear for the digital highway

Mary Harper, head of customer and digital marketing at Standard Life shares her experiences of taking a large organisation through a successful digital transformation.

“Finance is the one industry which has never had its industrial revolution, but, when it comes, most of what we take for granted will be swept away” It would appear the late, great commercial banker Sir Brian Pitman was quite the visionary when he said these prophetic words, as we now find ourselves bang in the heart of a revolution – and it’s digital. It’s not quite the rise of the machines, but it’s not far off.

As technology continues to move at a breakneck pace, social, mobile, analytics, cloud and other technologies are redefining how businesses not only choose to operate, but have to.

The ever-present smart device and laptop have transformed the way we transact.

Consumers have come to expect an immediate response, at home or on the move, and a slick user experience to boot. And it’s this demand that’s driving the rapid evolution of digital businesses. The customer is king.

Think digital We quickly recognised that to maintain our customer first focus we required a digital first approach. For us becoming a digital business wasn’t just about automation. It was a complete rethink of business models and processes and some important cultural shifts too. For our digital transformation to work we needed to identify the gaps between where we were and where we needed to be, then close them.

26

BC October/November 2015

Get comfortable with the customer We had a vision but we needed a plan, and it was clear the customer must to be at the centre of it. And to successfully do this we had to understand them much better, we needed to get to know them really well.

We never expected to become their best friend but we did hope we could become a welcome guest.

Customer research became an incredibly important part of our transformation; we could never think of building something new until we had a handle on what our customers not only needed but would value and in that knowledge lay our blueprint. Co-creation with customers is, and will continue to be, at the heart of what we do.

A cultured approach We also realised a culture shift was required if we wanted to bring our vision to life. By breaking down any silos that existed and bringing together our business, technology and marketing areas, we managed to create a new, collaborative and dynamic environment to work in. A fresh, creative culture was born full of what we affectionately called our PI people. Left brained, logical, analytical wizards and right brained creative, artistic hot shots, working as one.

We worked smart, co-locating around specific challenges and objectives. Customer engagement and digital being at the core of this, and the difference was huge.

We were amazed by the results, we had a vibrant, fast moving department not frightened to experiment, fail, roll-up the sleeves and start again. What was most rewarding was it felt we were all working towards a common goal and working in unison to get there.

Don’t go it alone But it would be silly to think we could do it all ourselves. Yes we’ve some incredible talent in-house but we knew there was incredible talent out there too and we could benefit. We scoured the market and brought in some new skills, technology and great partners. Partnering with these smaller, innovative companies accelerates what we do, gives us access to some cutting edge technology and business practices, and this ultimately helps us create customer offerings we’re immensely proud of.

Simply the best When striving for ‘best in class’ in the highly competitive digital space, it’s tough. Changing your mindset to be more customer focused makes a dramatic difference but so does how you think about digital. We no longer see it as a collection of websites and apps but as a core part of our business with their own performance indicators that we measure regularly, and the results have been encouraging. But it’s the great feedback we’ve received from our customers that really hits home; it’s this positive customer engagement that shows us we’re on the right path.

BUSINESS NEWS

Scottish business slow to adapt to the digital era With just less than half of Scottish businesses using social media, opportunities to engage with potential and existing customers are being missed, threatening the competitiveness of the country’s economy, according to Tim Watkin of communications company, Grayling.

I was astonished to read that only 53% of Scottish businesses have adopted social media. The Scottish Government’s Digital Business Survey found that the top two reasons for not adopting social media were that businesses didn’t see the relevance of social media to them (57%) and didn’t see any benefits to it (20%).

This goes against evidence that tells us that the use and time spent on social media has dramatically increased and consumers are turning to it for purchases and to solicit customer service. Caring for customers through social media is enriching their experience and creates greater loyalty, understanding and trust. Businesses that use social media channels can use the data generated from it to refine their services and products.

When developing communications campaigns for clients Grayling increasingly prioritises digital. When it comes to B2C or B2B communications, digital is an essential element of integrated campaigns. With 72% of Scottish businesses hoping to develop their social media channels over the next 12 months or sooner, here are some top tips to get started: Audit and plan. To enter the fray, the first step should be evaluating the landscape.

What are your competitors doing? What is the purpose of your digital presence and what business objectives do you hope to support through your digital presence?

Engage and respond. Social media is about conversation. Just pushing out news on social media is one way and therefore not good enough. Look for and become part of conversations using your knowledge and unique perspective. You can then redirect users to your blog, website or other earned editorial content.

Create segmented audience engagement plans. You cannot afford to hit the same audiences with the same messages. Analysing who your message is reaching is crucial in assessing who you need to target to expand your audience. You can’t be everywhere at once, so building online advocates who are interested and engaged creates a group prepared to stick up for you online.

Make content easily shareable. If your followers cannot find their voice, find out why and create new methods which make it easier. Online attention spans have reduced hugely so use images, videos and simple captions to tell a complicated story quickly.

Calls to action and sharing buttons are also essential in driving shares.

demographics of your audience and what their most interested in. These insights are invaluable in tailoring future content and maintaining your share of voice.

You need digital skills. Training staff is essential to get everyone involved. Set up a content and editorial team, as well as a policy for content creation and style.

Make it mobile friendly. As Ofcom found in their most recent communications review, smartphones are now the most important device for accessing the internet in Scotland.

If the content can’t be viewed properly, you can be assured that visitors won’t stick around.

To generate a significant following and interest in your channels requires time and work. But your competitors are already engaging with their customers and nurturing their relationships. You risk being compromised if you fail to participate. So, what are you waiting for?

Continually evaluate. Analytics tools are generally low cost and widely available for social media, enhanced email campaigns and websites. They enable you to find out the

Get in touch via @GraylingSCOT on twitter or email tim.watkin@grayling.com.

October/November 2015

BC

27

SQA JOURNEYS DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW

Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is the Scottish Government’s seven year initiative to improve the options available to young people, reducing youth unemployment by preparing young people for the workplace and giving them the skills that employers are looking for.

SQA plays an important part in this initiative as we are uniquely placed to support Scotland’s young workforce. By working together with training providers, employers, colleges and schools to ensure young people have the skills and qualifications employers are looking for.

SQA Journeys SQA has wide range of robust, relevant and respected qualifications which are designed in partnership with industry experts to ensure learners gain the skills and experience needed in the workplace We have created SQA Journeys to support the Developing Young Workforce initiative.

SQA Journeys includes case studies and videos featuring young people talking about their own journeys, endorsements from recognised industry bodies and employers, along with details of SQA qualifications available by sector.

28

BC October/November 2015

Help inspire a generation

Find out where SQA Journeys can take us.

SQA Journeys aims to inspire the next generation, enabling individuals to succeed in their lives and achieve their goals.

Everyone has a part to play, so that everyone benefits – our young people, your businesses and Scotland as a whole.

www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

Find out where SQA Journeys can take us.

“SQA is proud to be at the heart of the education and skills system in Scotland and is committed to helping young people realise their potential and to achieve their ambitions.”

Dr Janet Brown, Chief Executive of SQA

October/November 2015

BC

29

Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

Apprenticeships

transforming talent through learning

FUTURES WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT NEW CYBER SECURITY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME FROM QA

CYB SE E

R

PROCUR G RA I T Y MM E Information Assurance

Network Security Developer

Name: Undisclosed

Previously: College student Age: 17 Salary: Classified

Security Analyst

Assuring information and managing risks related to the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information or data

Previously: University student

Name: Undisclosed

Previously: Retail worker

Name: Undisclosed

Age: 20 Salary: Classified

Age: 18 Salary: Classified

Developing advanced network security products that is secure while remaining functional

Hack into the world of cyber security today to fight the criminals of tomorrow

Find out more about IT, tech, and digital apprenticeships tel: 0131 338 5367

EducationInvestor

Awards 2014

30

BC October/November 2015

web: apprenticeships.qa.com

QA Apprenticeships launch Cyber Security programme in Scotland Rarely a week goes by without another hack reaching the headlines. News of corporations being digitally infiltrated and customer data being stolen has, unfortunately, become too commonplace. It seems that as our reliance on technology to give us a ‘connected society’ has increased, ironically though understandably, we have become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

It’s no surprise then that Scotland’s cyber security sector is rapidly growing and has become an increasingly high profile area of the IT industry. Last year a shocking 81% of large corporations and 60% of small businesses in the UK reported a cyber-breach, with the cost for the worst breach estimated between £600,000 to £1.15 million for large businesses, and £65,000 to £115,000 for smaller ones.

Gary Standen QA Apprenticeships Scotland

Contact: 0131 3385 367 gary.standen@qa.com

Can ‘Digital Natives’ protect the future of the Scottish economy?

With technology advancing so quickly, it stands to reason that those who already have a technology ‘instinct’ are the best to protect us from future cyber-attacks.These ‘digital natives’ are those who were born into a world of technology at the latter end of the last century. Their lives are naturally immersed in social media, online communities, streaming music, gaming, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age.

An apprenticeship that is first of a kind Because of the demand for fresh cyber-security expertise, QA Apprenticeships have launched an exclusive cyber security higher apprenticeship. It is the first of its kind in Scotland that will train ambitious young people to thwart cyber-crime, decrypt data and untangle malware.

Gary Standen, Manager of QA Apprenticeships in the East of Scotland says “Cyber security is by far the fastest, and most important, area of growth in the IT industry. Support from the Scottish Government and employer feedback validate our investment in the Cyber security programme that we will be expanding throughout 2015. I am looking forward to seeing QA cyber apprentices safeguarding businesses of all sizes across Scotland.”

The programme develops technical skills across digital security, information assurance and risk to make apprentices secure and productive in a commercial setting. In developing this apprenticeship QA is bringing together its specialist cyber security training and award-winning apprenticeships to create cyber professionals from the outset.

.............................................................................................................................. #10KinTech – kick-starting 10,000 careers QA Apprenticeships is a multi-award winning provider of IT and business services apprenticeships, rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and winner of Microsoft Worldwide Learning Partner of the Year 2015.

In the last five years QA Apprenticeships has kick started over 5,000 careers, and it plans to reach the milestone of 10,000 in the next year.

Since the launch of the #10KinTech initiative in June, the company has already gained the support of over 7,500, and has galvanised the support of EE, Microsoft and notgoingtouni.com.

October/November 2015

BC

31

ADVERTORIAL

Completing Scotland’s land register

Charles Keegan is Head of Land Register Completion at Registers of Scotland (RoS).

His team are working to fulfil the request by Scottish Ministers for RoS to complete the land register within ten years.

Scotland has the distinction of holding the world’s oldest land register which has enabled land and property owners to register their deeds and provide security of ownership for almost 400 years.

Registers of Scotland (RoS) is the body responsible for registering land and property.

Since the early 1980s we have been transferring titles from the old General Register of Sasines onto a more modern, map-based register, the land register. Once complete this will provide a clear picture of who owns what and where across Scotland. The transfer onto the newer register has happened mostly through trigger events, such as property sales. To date around 59 per cent of all Scottish property, which equates to around 27 per cent of land mass, has been transferred onto the land register.

Last year, Scottish Ministers invited RoS to complete the land register by 2019 for land and property owned by public bodies and by 2024 for private and third sector landowners.

This is a challenging target, but a recent act of parliament, the Land Registration etc.

(Scotland) Act 2012, implemented last year allows us to introduce additional triggers to help RoS achieve our objective.

32

BC October/November 2015

A single, comprehensive, publicly searchable register that gives clarity on who owns what will be a national asset for Scotland and will make future transactions on land and property faster, easier and cheaper for owners as all land will be recorded centrally on the digital map-based register.

You don’t have to wait for a trigger event to get on the land register. Voluntary registration is one of the main ways we can speed up the completion process and RoS has reduced fees for voluntary applications by 25 per cent until 2017. This is to encourage land and property owners to update their records and add their assets to the land register. This will provide them with a state-backed guarantee of title for greater security.

To assist in the completion of the land register it will not be possible to record a standard security in the deeds based General Register of Sasines from 1st April 2016. This means that applicants seeking a mortgage with a new lender will need to prepare a voluntary registration along with any new standard security for their asset to move onto the land register.

While our primary focus is on encouraging voluntary registration, there are levers that have been put in place through legislation which will support our commitment to completing the land register.

One such lever allows the keeper of the registers to consider registering land, without input from the landowner, at her discretion.

This process, keeper induced registration (KIR), has been piloted and RoS is consulting this autumn on how we envisage the process being used going forward.

If you are interested in registering your land or property, or would like to participate in the KIR consultation, please visit: www.ros.gov.uk

60 SECONDS

Name: Judith O’Leary Company Name: O’Leary PR ltd Website: www.olearypr.co.uk Q In five words or less, what do you do?

A Make businesses known & respected

business community which allows me to spot opportunities for our clients

Q How long have you been a Chamber member?

A Less than a year

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

A I am passionate about collaboration leading to social change - The Edinburgh Guarantee is a great example of this – any other initiative such as this would get my vote & I feel the Chamber could take a lead in this

Q Why did you join?

A I wanted to meet like minded ambitious people with something interesting to say Q What services do you use?

A Mentoring, training & networking Q What’s the best business/benefit you have won through the Chamber?

A I feel more connected with the capital’s

with a genuinely interesting and intelligent bunch is through the Chamber Q Where do you read your copy of Business Comment?

A Usually on the train home to Fife – it’s my time to reflect and plan for the following week

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

A You cannot work in isolation so the best way to make new connections

4 Key things for employers to know about workplace pension auto-enrolment As an employer, auto-enrolment can seem complex. At Standard Life, we’ve guided many employers through auto-enrolment. So, to help you, we’ve compiled a list of the four key things you need to know.

1. Not all employees will be eligible to join your scheme.

Age, income, and if an employee has a pension to which you already contribute, all determine eligibility. Each employee will fall into one of the four categories below. * All numbers based on the qualifying band earnings of between £5,824 and £42,385 for 2015/16.

2. You could request a postponement period

n Align pension joining dates with the payroll process n Avoid joining temporary employees n Fit in with pay reference periods meaning employees join the scheme at the start of a pay period

Rather than meeting all your pension reform duties immediately on your staging date, or when an employee first becomes eligible, you can apply a postponement period to delay some duties. This can be up to three months and can help make the pension process fit your way of working. It can help to:

3. Minimum contribution levels Every month you’ll need to pay at least the minimum contribution levels for your enrolled employees. These are set by The Pensions Regulator and will increase in 2017 and in 2018. For full details see their website. www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

** A pension scheme that meets Government standards

Employee category

Action required

Eligible jobholders

Earning at least £833 a month (£192 a week) and aged 22 - state pension age*

You need to automatically enrol these employees into a qualifying workplace pension scheme**

Non-eligible jobholders

Earning between £486 and £833 a month (£112 and £192 a week) and aged 22 - state pension age

Aren’t eligible for auto-enrolment. However, they can choose to join a qualifying workplace pension scheme and receive employer contributions

Entitled workers

Earning less than £486 a month (£112 a week) and aged 16 - 74

Are ‘entitled’ to join a pension scheme but you don’t have to contribute into it for them

Existing members

Employees already in the scheme on a qualifying basis (paying at least minimum contributions)

No joining action required

4. Choose your provider carefully Pensions have changed drastically. People now have a lot more freedom and choice when they reach retirement. However, providers don’t have a legal obligation to offer access to these freedoms. We recommend you choose a provider that can. * Every business’s is different and may require advice.

Standard Life accepts no responsibility for advice that may be formulated on the basis of this information.

October/November 2015

BC

33

CHAMBER NEWS

Edinburgh Napier University – Supporting The Digital Economy Edinburgh is growing as a digital hub, a city building its industry around the demands of the Information Age with a talented workforce and real sense of community in the tech sector. But what are universities doing to ensure the supply of digital talent does not dry up just when it is most needed?

Earlier this year, Edinburgh Napier University launched an international Cyber Academy which integrates industry, academia, law enforcement and the public sector in the battle against criminals who use hacking software to steal money, data and intellectual property.

Students and professionals are learning how to secure systems, respond to security breaches and investigate the work of hackers.

Innovative ideas are being developed through funded PhD research and the Academy will also support conferences and workshops.

Professor Bill Buchanan of Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, commented “As world leaders debate the rights to privacy against the rights to detect threats against society, we

34

BC October/November 2015

aim for the Cyber Academy to be the place in which everyone can get involved and discuss the key issues of this age.”

Edinburgh Napier also boasts a state of the art game lab and has built on its expertise in computer games by launching a new Masters course in Game Technologies. The one-year, full-time course teaches interactive graphics, game production, artificial intelligence and interactive design. The teaching staff includes Professor Kenny Mitchell, who has a track record of delivering technology for popular video games like Split Second, Spielberg’s Boom Blox and the Harry Potter franchise.

The course is run by Dr Ben Kenwright, who explained: “Computer gaming has become the dominant media industry and it offers fantastic career opportunities.”

Real World Optimisation with Life-Long Learning (ROLL) is a project at Edinburgh Napier which is solving problems in the industry with computer programmes that learn from experience. The project has developed software that could help

warehouses pack things more efficiently by looking at the human immune system. The software gets better and better at solving problems as it encounters more of them, just as our immune system gets stronger as we become exposed to pathogens over the years.

Dr Oli Mival of the University’s Centre for Interaction Design is linking up with industry to share expertise in Human Computer Interaction, User Experience and Interaction Design.

The University’s business incubator for students, graduates and alumni, Bright Red Ventures supports digital start-ups like Geared App which has launched a mobile and web platform for Dirt School which allows mountain bikers to access online coaching from anywhere in the world.

To find out more about the contribution Edinburgh Napier University makes to the digital sector, please contact Jack Mathieson j.mathieson@napier.ac.uk on 0131 455 6251.

CHAMBER NEWS

Four Out Of Five SMEs Will Be Cloud Reliant By 2020 It’s no secret that more and more businesses are using the cloud each day and the trend looks as if it’s set to continue well into the future.

Recent research from Intuit, a global business software and service provider, states that four out of five SMEs will become completely cloud reliant by the year 2020. According to their latest report on ‘Small Business Success In The Cloud’, they’re predicting that 78% of SMEs in the United States alone will be fully accustomed to using the cloud over the next six years, a drastic increase in comparison to the current adoption rate of 37%. They claim that the cloud is ‘redefining the small business playing field’.

The report picked out several key areas where the cloud will more than likely exceed today’s current usage dramatically, identifying businesses that will be fully immersed in cloud technology by 2020 “moving from passive to active use of the technology”.

Plug In Players These included those who will more than likely ‘plug in’ to cloud providers services that carefully provide a managed service for businesses. Managed services, including

colocation, managed hosting, cloud hosting and more, offer businesses a way of running their IT infrastructure without having to deal with it in-house. Managed services allow businesses to utilise the cloud through outsourcing, saving IT costs, avoiding unexpected maintenance costs, and removing the need for keeping internal hardware up to date. This way, organisations often have more time to focus on mission critical areas of business.

‘portfolioists’, essentially freelancers, are utilising the cloud to showcase their work and manage it virtually. Something that’s only bound to grow over the next few years.

Steve King of Emergent Research stated that many people are now using the power of the cloud to re-imagine the idea of small business and create new, innovative models that work for their needs.

Watch this space for what happens, but we’re excited to see where the cloud can take business in the future. If you want to learn about the cloud hosting, managed hosting solutions that Onyx offer, all from within their own UK Data Centres, then head over to http://onyx.net/services for more information.

The Continued Growth Of ‘Hives’ It’s also worth mentioning that so-called ‘Hives’ will continue to grow over the next few years thanks to advancements in cloud technology. ‘Hives’ are essentially companies that operate virtually with team members spread out across a multitude of locations.

The cloud allows these businesses to store data virtually and use cloud technology to operate, removing the need for an office containing servers and other IT hardware.

By John Toal, Sales and Marketing Director, Onyx

The same report also mentions how

October/November 2015

BC

35

INSPIRING DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

Evolution Of Primate It’s only natural that a leading Primate should believe in evolution.

This is the process, after all, that gives rise to diversity – and for Gordon McLachlan that has meant finding a new way to climb to the top of the tree.

Gordon and a group of his fellow directors at the Edinburgh-based web agency set up Primate four years ago, tired of simply being part of the digital troop. They were determined to find a way to stand out from others operating in the jungles of the crowded digital world.

And so Primate was born, and those four short years have seen the agency prosper and its reputation for bringing an innovative, creative approach soar.

The philosophy is simple, but more difficult to put into practice: What is it about your business that makes it different, and why should people trade with you? In other words, does your business simply sell a product or service, or do you have more of a story to tell?

Gordon believes passionately that the story is almost always there. It’s just a question of seeking it out, and then articulating it in an engaging way.

He explained “We set up to move away from the ‘factory’ approach we’d all encountered before to a much more bespoke way of doing things. That was, and still is, our driving force in Primate.

“We’ve grown steadily since then, working with a wide range of really interesting clients who like to think as we do, trying to find a different way to put their message and their business across.

“That is the real challenge that the digital world we inhabit poses for us. Whether you are an accountancy firm, or a manufacturing firm, or a retailer, you are going to be online. But so are millions of others around the world – so what do you need to do to make yourself stand out?

“It’s the key question that needs to be answered by every organisation when they are looking at their web presence.”

36

BC October/November 2015

And it’s a question that becomes more pressing as the technology continues to advance. Mobile computing means that almost everyone now has access to the internet, and many have that access constantly.

Gordon added “There is no doubt that things have changed and evolved. Not all that many years ago, if you wanted a website there were relatively few people you could go to. Nowadays you can create your online presence in all kinds of ways, some of them very simply and DIY, and others requiring professional help and more expertise.

“The technology continues to be an important driver, governing the functionality of websites for example. But more and more the journey is going full circle – moving away from the obsession with technology and moving more and more towards harnessing the technology to use it to reach out to people.

“We are back where all good communications starts – with message and content. What do you want to say and how exciting, or fun, can we make it.”

Things never stand still online, nor indeed at Primate. As the company says on its own website “The Internet is the epitome of progression, and we believe that by firmly embracing this fact we can play a stronger role in changing the digital world around us.

Also, by constantly enhancing, improving, refining and evolving the we way work, we can pass on those benefits to our clients and their projects alike.”

“The content of a site or application is incredibly important as it not only influences functionality and design but also user emotion, understanding and interaction. All of our designs, features and strategies are driven by this underlying concept and we strongly believe in emphasising content in all its forms.”

Gordon explained “It is the quality of the message and the content that drives the internet. Look at the successful brands, like Apple. People don’t buy an iPhone as opposed to another brand because they need a smartphone that does certain things.

It’s a lifestyle they buy into.

“And now when we talk about content for websites, we aren’t only talking about words – we’re talking about video, photography, illustration – a whole host of things.”

As someone immersed in the world of digital commerce, Gordon is well-placed to comment on Edinburgh’s success, or failure, in participating in the global online potential it offers. He said: “I think Edinburgh as a city does pretty well – we’ve seen a number of digital businesses develop and grow here in recent years, some of them very successful.

“But most of the really new, exciting stuff is still coming out of the US and London, where there is a less risk-averse view. I think if we want to be really big players we need to be more prepared to make the huge investment needed. The Facebooks and Twitters of this world didn’t really just happen after a couple of guys set them up from their bedrooms – not really. If you look at it, as I’ve done, there was a real plan, and real money, behind them from early on.

They were backed by people with the vision and a willingness to take a chance and be different. We need a bit more of that.”

INSPIRING DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

“We are back where all good communications starts – with message and content. What do you want to say and how exciting, or fun, can we make it.”

October/November 2015

BC

37

INSPIRING DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

Capital Opportunity To Connect To Superfast Edinburgh’s determination to enjoy some of the best digital connectivity in the world is articulated through the successful Connected Capital Programme.

Run by City of Edinburgh Council, the programme is part of the UK Government’s Super Connected Cities Programme.

There are several aspects to the programme – for example the provision of free wifi on trams and buses is already up and running and also in some public buildings.

But for Edinburgh’s business community, the major initiative has been the provision of a voucher scheme providing capital funding of up to £3,000 – enabling small and medium sized businesses, organisations and charities to upgrade their broadband connection speeds.

It’s proven to be a major success to date, with around 450 companies taking advantage of the scheme in the Capital and more than 1000 across Scotland’s Central Belt. City of Edinburgh Council administers the voucher scheme across much of Scotland on behalf of the Government.

Vouchers are awarded to businesses to help cover the installation costs of connecting to superfast broadband services up to the value of £3,000.

Businesses pay the VAT costs and the ongoing subscription. To qualify for a voucher, organisations should be small to medium sized located in the City of Edinburgh Council area, have fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £40m.

Charlotte Blackwood project manages the scheme for the council. She said: “The voucher scheme has been a real success so far. We’ve helped hundreds of businesses here in the Capital to upgrade

38

BC October/November 2015

their broadband access and speeds, across the whole spectrum of sectors from retailers to manufacturers to life science companies.

“In Edinburgh, we benefit from a knowledge economy with high value jobs across finance, the creative industries, life sciences, research, and so on. In all of these areas excellent digital connectivity is essential.

“But that is increasingly true no matter what sector you operate in, and we’ve seen a really diverse range of applications from companies, organisations and also charities. The vouchers provide financial assistance to businesses in the city who don’t already have a fast connection.

I would strongly recommend those without a fast connection apply for a voucher as high grade broadband is more reliable and faster.

“The feedback we have been getting from businesses has been very positive. There is no doubt that gaining a faster and more robust broadband access brings genuine benefits to businesses.

“For example, we have heard back from businesses that it has created greater productivity, more flexible working, and allowed them to reduce costs through greater use of voicer over internet and video conferencing.”

The programme has been running since December of 2013, following a pilot project earlier that year, and is due to close in March next year.

City of Edinburgh Council has been running the voucher scheme for the Government in Edinburgh and the South East, Glasgow and the Clyde Valley, Stirling and Forth Valley, up to Tayside and on into the Highlands.

To date, more than 1200 businesses have taken advantage of the voucher scheme, representing a seven figure investment in improved digital connectivity.

But the scheme continues to enjoy a high demand. So much so that Charlotte also

had this warning: “The voucher scheme is due to finish on March 31st next year, or when the funding runs out.

“The way things are going, if you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity and you haven’t already done so I’d act pretty quickly now. I think the voucher scheme will certainly end ahead of that deadline.”

Some More Key Information about Connected Capital: Businesses in Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders areas can access the vouchers through the Edinburgh scheme.

In the vast majority of cases the voucher should cover the total installation cost but where it doesn’t, businesses will have to cover the difference themselves.

Edinburgh’s Connected Capital Programme is part of the £150m Super Connected Cities Programme which is being delivered through Broadband Delivery UK, which is part of the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Other projects forming part of the Connected Capital Programme are an outdoor wireless network, wireless hotspots in a number of public buildings.

Superfast broadband is defined as speed of at least 30 Megabytes per Second (Mbps) and ultrafast is defined 80 to 100+ Mbps.

Follow on Twitter @connectedinburg. www.businessbroadbandvoucher.co.uk for more info on the voucher scheme.

INSPIRING DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

“The way things are going, if you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity and you haven’t already done so I’d act pretty quickly now. I think the voucher scheme will certainly end ahead of that deadline.”

October/November 2015

BC

39

Sharon, Credit Controller

Getting back to work, during or after treatment, can mean a lot to someone living with cancer.

So who better than Macmillan to help you improve the support you give your staff? We can train you to manage the impact of cancer on your team. Sign up today for a free toolkit and to book our specialist training.

Sign up online at macmillan.org.uk/atwork Email us at workandcancer@macmillan.org.uk Or call us on 020 7840 4725

40

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604).

MAC15613_DIR

BC October/November 2015

PARTNERS IN ENTERPRISE

Business is ALL about Energy So you’ve now detoxed your business, how do you keep it in shape and ensure it is best placed to deliver great results?

In her third article Gaynor McIntyre talks about culture and how important it is to manage the ‘energy’ of a business…

Yes, yes I can hear you already, “Look at that title, what is she on?” … but it’s true, business really is ALL about energy.

I was scrolling through LinkedIn very recently and I spotted this fantastic quotation: “The Culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate.” - Gruenter & Whitaker.

Just think back – have you ever worked anywhere, whether an earlier job or your current one, where the atmosphere is one of fear and negativity? Also think about where you were the happiest and why that was?

My first job was with ICI plc, at the height of the eighties.

The effervescent Sir John Harvey ‘colourful tie’ Jones was at the helm and when he visited our manufacturing site, the first thing he’d do was to march into the dining room, find the catering manager (who was also the Shop Steward) and give her a huge hug!

Employer employee relations were strong.

We worked hard but we played hard too. The atmosphere was one of encouragement and positivity and days sometimes even involved cocktails at lunch! It was a great place to work and the late Sir John created that.

Then I moved back up to Scotland and worked for an organisation where everyone was scared of the boss. What I couldn’t get over was that before even meeting the guy I found myself scared of him too! On reflection, this was utterly preposterous but in how many places is this still the case?

Dynamic’ and the business literally shifted over night. Six months later and I was delighted to meet a happier workforce who was all starting to enjoy their place of work.

Staff retention was up, absenteeism was down and there was a genuine commitment to staff development. The new chief, who had both emotional intelligence and commercial acumen, knew exactly which buttons to press to create real trust and a positive energy in which people could thrive.

When clients want to talk to me about changing their culture I have to remind them that it is often the founder of the business or existing leader who is ultimately responsible for creating the energetic tone that seeps through the DNA of the business. To put it simply - “how it feels to work here.”

I had a very frank conversation with one owner several years ago. I had been invited by the American owners of a UK subsidiary to look at one of their factories in Scotland. I rolled up happy as punch and left at the end of the day feeling that I’d been beaten to pulp as, one after one, streams of drained staff rolled into see me and poured their hearts out (using the most venomous language you can imagine). Many just sat down in front of me and wept.

So my question to you is this: who is managing the energy within your business, does it feel right and how are your people feeling today? Answer that positively and pat yourself on the back! You are well on your way to realising the full potential of your business.

The MD was a complete ogre and totally unable to communicate effectively with his team. Needless to say he didn’t last.

The owners subsequently brought in a ‘Mr Gaynor McIntyre

We thank our Partners in Enterprise for their continued support of the Chamber.

October/November 2015

BC

41

ADVERTORIAL

Edinburgh Gang Show productions limited

Our Mission: To make a positive difference in young people through their participation in creative arts activities.

Edinburgh Gang Show is the biggest annual theatrical show starring young people in the UK. With a cast of almost 300 young people aged between 8 and 25 years old the long established show follows a well-recognised format of variety theatre set within a modern context. Performing annually since 1960 the Edinburgh Gang Show has become one of the most popular events at the city’s King’s Theatre with members of Scouting and Girlguiding showcasing their creative talents to audiences of over 6,000 people every November.

Our young people can become involved in

42

BC October/November 2015

a range of activities including auditioning, rehearsing and performing in both acting and musical roles, or in helping pre-show as active members of our talented company wardrobe team, or in assisting with building scenery but most importantly in supporting each other. These activities also play a critical part in preparing young people for working life and their role in society in later adult years.

Our young people gain skills and abilities such as problem solving, effective team working, creativity and self-confidence, practical skills in theatre art and in presenting themselves to the public on the professional stage.

The cost of staging Edinburgh Gang Show is now approaching £75,000 annually and as a company and registered Scottish charity we are continually looking at ways to work in partnership with other national and local organisations and businesses to find creative ways to raise funds alongside supporting these organisations with their own social responsibility objectives to bring their values

and aspirations alive in an innovative way.

If you are interested in working with us to support these young people in their journey you can do this in a number of ways: n Sponsor a number of seats at £15 per seat. These can either be for staff of your company or allocated to a local charity of your choice. n Providing advice or support to our volunteer Management and Business Committees or to the Board of Trustees of Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited. n Sponsor a costume. We can let you know what the themes are for our next production and the number of young people involved along with the likely cost.

We make most of the costumes ourselves and purchase others as needed. You could sponsor all or some of the costumes for a particular theme or for the entire show.

ADVERTORIAL

n Join the Edinburgh Gang Show community by becoming an Individual or Corporate Member of EGSPL – this costs annually £20 per person and for this you will receive: l A ticket to the Thursday night show in an area reserved for members l An invitation to the after-show members’ reception following the Thursday evening performance where you will have the

opportunity to meet with production team, the senior cast members and the crew.

n Advertise and promote your company in our show programme or via links on our social networking sites.

l Updates on what is happening

n All those who sponsor or support the show will have their name mentioned in our annual souvenir programme.

l An invitation to the Company Annual Review together with voting rights on decisions that will affect the ongoing development and future of the company and Edinburgh Gang Show

We cannot put a price on the personal reward you will get through being involved or simply watching the show.

If you are interested in finding out more please make contact with our Business Support team: Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited 23 Montrose Way, Dunblane, FK15 9JL Tel: 01786 822942 E-mail: egspl.finance@btinternet.com

The 2015 Edinburgh Gang Show will be performed at the King’s Theatre from Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 November with evening performances commencing at 7:00pm with a Saturday Matinee at 2:15pm. Tickets are available from the King’s or Festival Theatre Box Offices (0131 529 6000)

October/November 2015

BC

43

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Put Children 1st in Edinburgh Children 1st is Scotland’s National Children’s Charity. We help Scotland’s families to put children first, with practical advice and with support in difficult times. And when the worst happens, we support survivors of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic events in childhood, to recover.

We work closely with our supporters to create engaging partnerships. Our partnership with Mazars in Edinburgh centres on client and family friendly fundraising events. Our work with Skyscanner is tailored towards the skills and interests of their staff who are providing their professional skills in design and marketing, as well as raising vital funds.

We work with leading businesses across Scotland through Dragons’ Glen, our unique entrepreneurial challenge. ”Dragons’ Glen provides a platform to test the business skills of our graduates and also fits perfectly within SSE’s sustainability values.” Colette MacLeod, Graduate Manager, SSE Partnerships with businesses helped Children 1st support over 17,000 children, young people, carers and their families across Scotland last year.

Put Children 1st in 2016 Your company can benefit from working with Children 1st, contact corporate@children1st. org.uk, visit www.children1st.org.uk/ corporate or call 0131 446 2317

44

BC October/November 2015

Start a journey you’ll never forget The Caledonian Challenge is one of Scotland’s toughest outdoor events which has seen over 17,000 people participate since it began in 1996.

Choose your distance, be it a 54 or 24 mile hike along the West Highland Way. We guarantee you breath-taking sights of Scottish countryside and a sense of achievement as you cross the finish line.

The 54 is the ultimate 54 mile challenge, starting at Gairlochy and finishing down at Strathfillian in under 24 hours.

A shorter 24 mile route will test participants’ grit and stamina between Glen Nevis and Glencoe, which should be completed in under 12 hours.

Many find it a personal feat, testing their mental and physical abilities but also a great opportunity to build an unbreakable bond with team mates.

David Howe, team leader of Microsoft Sleakit Beasties who took part in The 54 last year said; “Participating in the Challenge brought us together and brought life into the office. Don’t think twice, it is a once in a lifetime Challenge.”

Visit www.caledonianchallenge.com and sign up now.

No-one should be homeless in Scotland Choosing Bethany Christian Trust as your charity partner is a good move.

With our made-to-measure approach, you can engage your team in the local community in whatever way suits you best.

Whether you are looking for a one-off activity or a longer term partnership, our experienced staff are on hand to guide you through.

We know that each and every organisation is different and that your staff have preferences about how they like to give back. Our corporate partnership opportunities are designed to engage your staff, build your team and enhance your reputation as a community focussed organisation.

Homelessness can affect anyone and the demand for our services is growing. Our work stretches far beyond emergency shelter for rough sleepers. We work with young people, families and older people to stop them becoming homeless in the first place.

No-one should be homeless in Scotland.

Please help.

Contact supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com or call 0131 561 8977 to find out how you can make a difference today.

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Support for vital breaks As an independent charity, Leuchie House relies heavily on input from businesses and organisations to support its vital fundraising efforts.

This support ranges from the 5-star Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh to local schools and businesses in the local town of North Berwick, with Gavin Hastings OBE (pictured) as Patron.

The charity offers caring respite breaks for people and their families living with a variety of long-term conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis, stroke, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy and Huntington’s.

Guests have the chance to have a relaxing or activity-filled break in glorious country house surroundings, underpinned by 24-hour expert nursing care and on-site physiotherapy.

This level of service is only possible with the help of our supporters across the business community.

Leuchie is a very lean charity, with 95p of every £1 raised going to the service. We look after guests with high dependency needs which means the level of care is staff intensive, but results in a high quality experience for guests.

Anyone who would like to find out about volunteering for CSR projects or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Carolyn on 01620 892864. www.leuchiehouse.org.uk

Sick & tired of feeling sick & tired?

We’ll take care of it!

The CHSS Health Promotion Scheme supports businesses across Scotland to improve the health and wellbeing of employees.

Supporting Homeless Women in Edinburgh

Participation in the scheme can help meet corporate social responsibility goals for your business. Research shows that workplace Health Promotion Schemes can:

Keymoves -Support for Homeless Women in Edinburgh based in the city centre provides critical support to vulnerable homeless women in Edinburgh since the 1840s. The charity’s mission is just as vital today as it was all those years ago. Keymoves is a Housing Support Service and is regulated by the Care Inspectorate.

n Reduce employee absenteeism n Improve work performance and job satisfaction n Achieve a positive return on investment Our Health Promotion Specialists provide: n Blood pressure screening and lifestyle assessments: Individual lifestyle assessments raise awareness of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and provide advice on how to reduce these through healthier lifestyle choices. n Interactive workshops: These fun and engaging workshops cover a range of topics to equip staff with important healthy lifestyle messages. n Support for staff-run health promotion activities: Guidance and resources for staff to run their own health and wellbeing groups.

The charity provides a lifeline to women who may be facing homelessness, violence, abuse or poverty. The dedicated team offer care and support tailored to the needs of the individual.

Keymoves believes that women affected by homelessness should have an opportunity to reach their full potential and have a home of their own.

A former resident left this thank you message for staff who supported her.

“Thank you for providing me with a safe place, support, patience and peace of mind. I wish you continued success with all of your good work”.

Get involved: From bake sales to abseils, there’s something for everyone: n n n n n

Choose us as your ‘Charity of the Year’ Organise fundraising events in the workplace Enter our adrenaline fuelled events Promote payroll giving Encourage staff to volunteer for us

If you would like to have an informal discussion about how you may be able to support Keymoves or work together.

Please contact Rose Turnbull on 0131 556 8939 or email rose@keymoves.org.uk

Contact our Corporate Team now: Phone: 0300 1212 555 Email: healthpromotion@chss.org.uk www.chss.org.uk/health_promotion

KEYMOVES

Registered with and regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (no SC018761), Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is a wholly Scottish charity. It also operates as CHSS and is registered in Scotland as a company limited by guarantee, no SC129114.

Support for Homeless Women In Edinburgh

October/November 2015

BC

45

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Diabetes UK Every day in Scotland 48 people learn they have diabetes. And every day, those 48 people join over 276,000 in Scotland who are living with the condition.

Diabetes UK is the leading charity that cares for, connects with, and campaigns alongside and behalf of people living with or at risk of diabetes. We’re here to provide support, expert advice and the opportunity to talk through the challenges people are facing.

We campaign to ensure that everyone affected by diabetes, no matter their age, ethnicity or what type they are living with, have access to the highest quality of care.

We lead the way in pioneering diabetes research with 19 funded projects underway at Scottish institutions, including University of Edinburgh, and a commitment of over £5.3m to better understand the causes of diabetes, improve prevention, develop more successful treatments and, eventually, a cure.

Our vital work wouldn’t be possible without the amazing generosity of our corporate partners. If you want to join the team, or would like more information please get in touch with Ryan Taylor on 0141 245 6380 or email at ryan.taylor@diabetes.org.uk

46

BC October/November 2015

Is your business prepared for a dementia customer friendly future?

Dementia is everyone’s business – and as the number of people living with dementia in Scotland continues to rise, many leading businesses and leaders are ensuring their workforce receives Dementia Friends awareness sessions. People with dementia tell us they want to continue to shop, retain independence and remain active in their communities for as long as possible.

Our Dementia Friends programme for businesses can help you: n give your staff a basic understanding of dementia and the small things they can do to provide a good customer service experience for people living with dementia n make your customer communications more dementia-friendly n increase customer retention by supporting people with dementia to make payments, select goods and services and find the right information n help you support staff and colleagues who are directly affected by dementia.

Let’s talk about how we can help you make your business dementia-friendly.

Contact dementiafriends@alzscot.org or visit www.dementiafriendsscotland.org For workplace fundraising contact our awardwinning Corporate Fundraising team: Tel: 0131 243 1453 or email corporatefundraising@alzscot.org.

Macmillan Cancer Support Jayne Forbes is Macmillan’s Fundraising Manager in Edinburgh. Having worked in the voluntary sector for a decade, she has been involved in many high profile fundraising campaigns, the latest of which will transform cancer services in Edinburgh.

“By 2020, one in two of us will face a cancer diagnosis but there’s a lack of services to support the growing number of survivors,” she says.

“That’s why we’re launching a campaign in Edinburgh to fund a £1m programme of services across the city to help people cope with the emotional, financial and practical impact of cancer.

“We need local businesses to support this campaign. A charity partnership with Macmillan is not just about driving PR and employee engagement through fundraising and volunteering.

You can also benefit from the halo effect of working with the UK’s most trusted brand to help you increase sales and drive market share.

“We’ll spend time getting to know what’s important to your business and provide support and advice throughout the partnership, to ensure we both get the maximum reward while helping more people living with cancer.”

To find out more about working in partnership with Macmillan contact Jayne on 07801 307025 or email jforbes@macmillan.org.uk

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Yemen Crisis – Oxfam Emergency Response Right now, Oxfam is responding to around 25 emergency situations worldwide.

Deadly clashes and air strikes in Yemen have seen more than 4,300 people killed. Over 1.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes and are struggling to find food and water. Before this latest escalation, more than 10 million Yemenis, were already going hungry every day. Now, over 20 million people are in need of water and sanitation assistance and 12.5 million are struggling to find food.

Whilst operating amid increasing conflict and incredibly stressful, insecure circumstances, our dedicated staff and local partners have provided ordinary families affected by the bombings with access to food, safe water and sanitation facilities.

Oxfam has so far reached 265,471 people but, with your help or the help of your business, Oxfam can reach 1 million people. With no end to the conflict in sight, our response to the needs of Yemenis is critical.

If you want to know more about how you or your business can make a difference, please contact Oxfam Scotland on 0141 285 8863.

Age Scotland

Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited

Age Scotland is the largest charity in Scotland dedicated to enabling everyone to make the most of later life.

Edinburgh Gang Show is the biggest annual theatrical show starring young people in the UK. With a cast of almost 300 young people aged between 8 and 25-years-old the show follows a well-recognised format of variety theatre set within a modern context.

At Age Scotland, we provide vital services and support at a national and local level to inspire, enable and support older people. We provide a platform and stand up and speak for those who have reached later life, while also protecting the long-term interests of future generations.

Performing annually since 1960 the Edinburgh Gang Show has become one of the most popular events at the city’s King’s Theatre with members of Scouting and Girlguiding showcasing their creative talents to more than 6,000 people every November.

Our vision is a Scotland where everyone can love later life. Our ambition is to inspire people to see that they can change their lives and those around them, engage with people and enable them to change later life for the better, and support older people who are struggling as they live longer to achieve better, happier and healthier lives.

The cost of staging Edinburgh Gang Show is now approaching £75,000 annually and as a company and registered Scottish charity the organisation is continually looking at ways to work in partnership with other national and local organisations and businesses to raise funds.

If you are interested in helping, you can do this in a number of ways, including sponsorship, offering advice, becoming a member or advertising.

To find out how you and your company can make a real difference to the lives of older people in Scotland please contact alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk for more information.

If you are interested please contact our Business Support team: Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited 23 Montrose Way, Dunblane, FK15 9JL Tel: 01786 822942 e-mail: egspl.finance@btinternet.com

October/November 2015

BC

47

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Help mend broken hearts in Edinburgh When Gwen Currie from Edinburgh had a heart attack at just 54, her friends and family were shocked.

Gwen says: “They all said that I’d given them such a fright and they couldn’t believe it happened to me. I was active and slim and led a pretty healthy lifestyle, although I was later found to have high cholesterol.

“I was lucky – but it definitely shook my confidence. You experience an immediate fear – what if it happens again? That worry never really leaves you.”

She says more research needs to be done to help families avoid the devastation of losing a loved one to heart disease.

Here in Edinburgh dedicated scientists, funded by the British Heart Foundation, are working hard to find new treatments to mend a broken heart.

They need your help.

It costs over £2,500 to run our lab for a week – and that doesn’t include staff costs.

Help us make state-of-the-art science happen on your doorstep. Help us to save lives.

Why not sponsor a week in the lab? To start fundraising, or to donate, contact Lisa Stafford on 01259 220451 or staffordl@bhf.org.uk www.bhf.org.uk/edinburghappeal

Helping the most vulnerable in the community find homes of their own Thanks so much for putting up with me for 8 months!! I know how much of a pain I can be!

You all helped me in your own ways, which helped me through some really hard times. If I’m 100% honest with you If I hadn’t come to you in January then right now id either be in jail / the hospital or maybe even dead.

Look at me know though, my own home, getting ready to start college, I really would not be doing this without the help from you., knowing people believed in me really made a difference to my life and I just want to say a massive thank you to you all.

This is a real quote from Janice; just one of the 5000 people we have supported in the past nine years.

In our tenth anniversary year, please consider supporting us and for a further chat about how we could work together to achieve this kind of transformational change, please call Helen Carlin, CEO on 0131 229 7554 or email helenc@rowanalba.org Rowan Alba Limited. www.rowanalba.org

Rowan Alba Preventing homelessness in Scotland

48

BC October/November 2015

Good for Edinburgh – Good for You Established in 1996, Edinburgh Community Food (ECF) has nearly 20 years’ experience of working to promote healthy eating, particularly with vulnerable groups and people on low incomes across Edinburgh.

This is achieved by delivering high quality cooking and nutrition courses and by providing support, information and training in local communities.

With a mission ‘to get people into healthy food and healthy food into people’ ECF has much work to do. As with many charities, a major challenge for ECF is to secure funding to continue the work in achieving the mission.

In 2009, a decision was taken to establish a social enterprise to sell fruit and vegetables to the corporate sector. With research proving that by adopting healthy workplace initiatives, employee productivity and company performance can be significantly improved.

This provided ECF with the opportunity to encourage the corporate sector to provide fruit (100% tax deductible) in the workplace for staff. The success of the enterprise has required the warehouse to be expanded to fulfil demand. Be part of that success and encourage a healthy workplace and support the work of ECF at the same time.

T: 0131 467 7326 E: kmiller@edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk W: www.edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk

Are Are you you ready ready for for Auto Auto Enrolment?

Enrolment?

A A recent recent survey survey found found that that almost almost 1 1 in in 3 3 fi firms rms had had completed completed their Auto Enrolment application at the last minute or their Auto Enrolment application at the last minute or missed missed the the deadline deadline completely. completely.

With some staging dates already passed With some staging dates already passed and more looming you need to make sure and more looming you need to make sure your business is compliant with the new your business is compliant with the new legislation. legislation.

We are one of the largest independent We are one of the largest independent accountancy firms of choice in Scotland and accountancy firms of choice in Scotland and offer friendly and professional advice to offer friendly and professional advice to clients looking to take their business to the clients looking to take their business to the next level. next level.

Acumen’s payroll and book-keeping bureau Acumen’s payroll and book-keeping bureau has over 20 years experience in dealing with has over 20 years experience in dealing with ever changing legislation and compliancies, ever changing legislation and compliancies, we can take the pain out of the Auto we can take the pain out of the Auto Enrolment procedures, ensuring that you Enrolment procedures, ensuring that you are prepared. are prepared.

We have around 60 members We have around 60 members of staff, who serve over 1,800 of staff, who serve over 1,800 clients. Our range of services clients. Our range of services are bespoke and built around are bespoke and built around the needs of the small and the needs of the small and medium owner managed medium owner managed businesses. businesses.

For For more more information, information, and to view and to view our our services, services, visit: visit: www.acumen.info www.acumen.info or or email email us us at: at: enquiries@acumen.info enquiries@acumen.info

Your Your future, future, is is our our business. business.

October/November 2015

BC

49

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Ensuring a healthy workplace crucial for business success More employers than ever before are realising the importance of keeping their workforce healthy and happy.

Driving the heightened awareness is the realisation that healthy workforces can play an important part in a company’s performance, improving morale and contributing to the bottom line.

To achieve that goal, employers are increasingly turning to specialist Occupational Health companies like Business Medical Limited, whose expert staff advise a wide range of companies on health and workplace issues from their bases in Dunfermline and Edinburgh.

Now employing 11 people, the company was established in 2006 by former GP and NHS Occupational Health Consultant Dr Linda Bell, who has extensive experience in healthy workplace issues, and who has witnessed the business grow steadily since it was created.

Today, it has almost 80 corporate clients ranging across all sizes and operating in many different sectors.

That’s where Business Medical comes into the equation, with its specialist physicians and nurse advisors, who are qualified in Occupational Medicine and experienced in health issues in the workplace.

Business Medical is focused on providing high quality Occupational Health services to a variety of organisations and its aim is to provide a dependable and personal service tailored to individual needs, in line with best practice and current health and safety legislation.

In many cases, the company’s specialists see employees at a client’s site to reduce the time that the employees are away from the workplace.

This also means that it is possible for them to meet and talk to the managers and see workplace problems at first hand, which means that they can draw up effective programmes to address any problems.

Dr Bell said: “We are definitely seeing more and more employers coming to us because they acknowledge that they have an important role to play in keeping their staff healthy. There is a real and growing interest in Occupational Health.

Alternatively, they can see employees at Business Medical’s office base in Dunfermline, or Edinburgh.

“That was not always the case. Not so long ago, many companies would happily spend money on the maintenance of their equipment but did not pay the same attention to their staff. That is changing now and we are busier than ever.

n Advice on company health – including drawing up Occupational Health programmes

The team can offer a variety of services including:

n Health Assessments on staff members, allowing problems to be identified and treatments and programmes devised

“I think that one of the reasons for the increased demand is a series of pieces of new legislation that have been introduced over recent years, as well as Health and Safety Executive guidance, all of which draws attention to the need for a healthy workplace.

n Health promotion to educate people about healthy living

“It all means that there is a realisation among employers that they have a responsibility to take care of their staff.”

n Drug & Alcohol Tests

The statistics show why such an approach is so important. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ignoring the risks could be disastrous for a company, pointing out that work-related health problems result in an economic loss of 4–6% of GDP for most countries.

50

However, get it right and the benefits are there for everyone to see and the WHO says that simple initiatives help reduce sick leave absenteeism by up to 27% and health-care costs for companies by up to 26%.

BC October/November 2015

n Medicals – Offshore Oil & Gas Medicals, Danish Seafarer Medicals, Working at Heights & Appointed Doctor Medicals. n Medico-legal occupational health reports Dr Bell said: “The secret to our success is that we employ accredited professional specialists who have in-depth knowledge and expertise in Occupational Health which means that are able to provide clients with the advice that they need.

“Using our advice on employees’ health and fitness, we can help companies make sound

decisions about the health of employees in the workplace and devise programmes to support healthy living and working.

“One of the key concerns for businesses is the impact of absence from work through sickness.

Companies suffering from high absence rates can find it a real problem and we can help them address that.” The concerns were underlined by a Government report which in 2011 concluded that every year 140 million working days are lost to sickness absence. Much of the absence ends in a swift return to work but a significant number of absences last longer than they need to and each year more than 300,000 people fall out of work onto health-related state benefits, according to the report.

Dr Bell said: “We talk to a lot of companies about their absence rates and help them address problems and devise programmes to reduce the level of absence.

“In many cases, employers refer individuals to us who are, or recently have been, off work on sickness absence.

“We can establish if there is a medical or health condition behind the absence and suggest a potential timescale of fitness to return to duties as well as offering advice to support that return to work.

“This might include a phased return in hours and duties, restricted activities or adjustments at the workplace.

“We can also assess if there are any issues at the workplace which are impacting on employees’ health and any health issues preventing a return to regular and effective employment. ”Our approach is all about working with the employer and the employee to bring about the best solution for everyone involved.”

Contact details Business Medical is based in Dunfermline, Fife and operates throughout Central Scotland.

Tel: 01383 733740 or 01312 256777 Business Medical, 3 Thomson House, 11 Pitreavie Court, Dunfermline, Fife KY11 8UU 25a Manor Place, Haymarket, Edinburgh EH3 7DX Opening hours: 8:30am-5:00pm Mon-Fri

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

“It all means that there is a realisation among employers that they have a responsibility to take care of their staff.”

October/November 2015

BC

51

FEATURE: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Keep Your Team Fit and Healthy Short Notice Appointments Full GP Service | Medicals |Travel & Occupational Health Stress Management | Physiotherapy & more.

Open 7 days, with appointments to suit you and your business.

www.your.gp

Edinburgh: 0131 225 5656 Aberdeen: 01224 040 080

YourGP Edinburgh Waterside House 19 Hawthornbank Lane Edinburgh EH4 3BH

YourGP Aberdeen 6 Albyn Lane Aberdeen AB10 6SZ

reception@your.gp

aberdeen@your.gp

ADVERTORIAL

Secrets of Health and Vitality Revealed The root of great health is in having a healthy brain, determined significantly by the strength of your spine and nerve system.

The reason we solve puzzles, move our body, maintain healthy relationships, nourish ourselves and push to achieve, is to challenge and develop our brain.

It is a fine line. Too much pushing and the stress levels start to push back, not enough and we fail to fulfill our potential.

Chiropractic widens that line. It allows you, your mind and your body, and those of your employees, to push more efficiently and deal with stress more effectively. Reduce sick leave and improve performance by learning to nourish your brain through chiropractic.

12 Weeks to Wellness Program In our 12 weeks to wellness program we combine learning, exercise, relaxation techniques and chiropractic to make rapid change to you and your Company.

52

BC October/November 2015

Distilled from both the 119 years of chiropractic and my own personal journey, these techniques will quickly add sustained health even through the most stressful of times.

Do you know if your brain is working as well as it could? A free ten minute check-up, with this magazine can tell us if you are fine or if you need some attention - don’t wait, get your check up, and be sure of your health and wellness.

For more information on how I can help you call me on 0131 225 1177 or email gary@whitetreechiro.co.uk www.whitetreechiro.co.uk Dr Gary Blackwood

CHAMBER NEWS

British Airways Holidays: Delivering value through partnership In the June/July 2015 edition of Business Comment, Claire Bentley, Managing Director, explained the philosophy of British Airways Holidays in its mission to ensure a high quality high value product for its customers built on the back of IT developments and excelling at customer service.

In this issue Tim Weeks, newly appointed Commercial Manager for Inbound Markets and Hotel Delivery explains how leveraging the IT infrastructures that exist within travel ecommerce adds value not only to our travellers, but also ensures our supplier partners are able to work effectively in the online domain and gain assistance in developing new markets for their sales, and how his role brings a renewed focus on bringing people into the UK’s principal cities.

One of the challenges facing the traveller today, be it for leisure or for business, is knowing that they are getting the best price possible for their trip. In a confusing world of price comparisons and messaging it can be a hurdle to customers selecting to buy from you.

At British Airways Holidays we are committed to ensuring our travellers gain the best value for the money they spend, be this in a five star hotel travelling in our Club Europe or First cabins, or a three star hotel after a flight in our world traveller cabin. This confidence is

something which is hugely important as they travel into the relatively expensive UK cities of Edinburgh and London.”

selling, something which can only be achieved through robust relationships.

“The inbound markets part of my role means we are renewing our focus on driving visitors to key gateway cities. Edinburgh is a city with restricted hotel beds, running high occupancies, so I am acutely aware of the challenges travellers face in securing value.

This is where our technology comes into its own. We are able to support the hotels in demand periods by driving rates out to the market place, but also allow them to display any last minute availability at the right price in times of peak demand. The global British Airways network means we are able to target new markets which our suppliers could not otherwise reach, opening doors for their future expansion.”

Leveraging the latest XML and API technologies has also allowed us to develop true partnerships with our hoteliers. Rather than simply being a mass purchaser of rooms, we see our role as one of ensuring we are supporting both our own business and that of our suppliers. By working with key providers of leading technology in the industry we have gained direct access into the hotels systems, this allows them to manage their rates effectively, and ensure we are always able to access the best available rates, even in times of peak demand such as Hogmany and the Edinburgh Festival, keeping hotels on sale until they are full, and helping them sell more at the right price. In this era of mass shopping and price comparison, moving into a truly dynamic environment has meant we are providing this confidence to our customers and our suppliers. E-commerce is no longer simply about trading, it is about experiential

“By working in partnership with our supply partners across the world, and by leveraging our position in the travel industry as part of the biggest brands, we are able to deliver the highest level of service not only to our travellers, but also our suppliers.”

October/November 2015

BC

53

GETTING STARTED

Name: Gareth Biggerstaff Business name: Be-IT Start up date: Summer 2013 Website: www.be-itresourcing.com Q1: Tell us a bit about your business?

We are a niche technology and digital resourcing firm servicing clients across a broad range of sectors in the UK.

Q2: What gives your business ‘the x-factor’?

No doubt, the people. Not only are they excellent at what they do, they’re great people to work with. Very human.

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

I had to do it. Many of my family have businesses and that fuelled me on to want to create my own, as I can see the benefits it creates personally and within the community.

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

Being accountable for my direction of travel. It’s certainly not spare time as I have none.

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

There have been many accounts, frameworks etc…but the greatest is without doubt the team I have assembled within Be-IT.

Q6: What has been your lowest moment?

Building a recurring revenue stream. It’s a long slog.

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

I want to continue to build my team and develop my business into a market leading brand across the UK and Europe.

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

Be prepared to have underestimated most things.

NEW MEMBERS

54

3X1 Public Relations

Associates

Relationship Counselling Edinburgh

Administrate LTD

Frozen Charlotte

Robert Gordon

British Heart Foundation Scotland

GL Floor Finishing Company Ltd

Caledonian Sleeper

Grassmarket Community Project

CPG Partners Limited

KRS International Trade

Cycling Scotland

Lets Cook Scotland

EAFS Ltd

Pagoda Porter Novelli

Edinburgh Prime Consultancy Ltd

Pentland Medical Limited

Export Development and Training

Red Raptor Consultancy LTD

BC October/November 2015

SignLive Ltd SKY Business The Belmont Group The Edinburgh Playhouse

ASK THE EXPERT

Five reasons why you need a digital marketing plan

Few would deny we live in an age where digital technology is important to business. But to make it work for you, it needs to be leveraged with a clear digital strategy.

If your business has a website, you use emailing or even have a social media presence but no actual plan it’s easy to create a series of tactics that serve no true purpose. You will be failing to capitalise on prime opportunities and your business will begin to struggle as competitors stride ahead. But with a digital plan, your business can benefit from all the web has to offer. Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why you may need a digital marketing strategy.

n Features/functionality analysis: An evaluation of the features and functionality provided by your business or service compare with the competition.

1. It gives you direction and focus

It’s said that digital is the “most measureable medium ever”. But Google Analytics will only tell you volumes not why so you’ll need to use other methods to get to know your customers better; find out how, when and what they are looking for online. Some methods to use are:

Companies without a digital strategy don’t have clear goals for what they want to achieve online in terms of gaining new customers or building relationships with existing ones. If you don’t have goals you likely don’t put enough resources to reach the goals and you don’t evaluate whether you’re achieving those goals.

2. Your competitors will gain market share If you’re not devoting enough resources to digital marketing or you’re using an ad-hoc approach with no clearly defined strategies, then your competitors will take advantage of this and you will be left behind. So the first step is to know what they are up to and here’s some ways to assess this: n User experience: Gauge the usability or customer service of your business and

with traditional media and this will help build awareness of the brand too.

contrasted it with your competitors and potential substitutes. What are their websites like, how is the buying or engagement experience?

5. It will help you to optimise and stay ahead Every company with a website should have analytics, but many managers or business owners don’t ensure that they make enough time to review and act on them. Once a strategy enables you to get the basics right, then you can progress to continuous improvement of the key aspects like search marketing, website user experience, email and social media marketing. What have you found can go right or wrong?

n Reach: how do your competitors rank in search results, for social media loyalty and engagement?

3. You need to understand your customers better

Key Performance Indicators or KPIs will help to create measurable goals. For example: n n n n

Exit surveys and online surveys using Survey Monkey (free for first 10 questions)

Increase click through rates.

Increase conversion rates.

Reduce bounce rate.

Reduce cart abandonment.

If you need help developing a digital marketing strategy the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce runs many training courses with experts who can help. To find out more visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/training/ courses

n Client Workshop n Keyword research

4. Your marketing isn’t integrated It’s all too common for digital to be completed in isolation whether that’s a specialist digital marketer, sitting in IT/marketing or a separate digital agency. It’s easier that way to package digital marketing into a convenient chunk but it will be less effective. Most agree that digital media will work better when integrated

Ann Robb

October/November 2015

BC

55

FEATURE: GREEN VISION

REDUCING WASTE, CARBON AND COSTS.

“I am really impressed with the whole service that Changeworks Recycling offers; there is so much communication! It is such a prompt and fantastic service that they provide!’’

Alzheimer Scotland

Over 80% of all waste generated within an office environment can be recycled presenting a huge opportunity for you to reduce your waste costs!

Receive a complementary waste audit and see how we can help your business.

To book your FREE waste audit call 0800 694 0158 or email INFO@CHANGEWORKSRECYCLING.CO.UK

56

BC October/November 2015

FEATURE: GREEN VISION

ADVERTORIAL

New rules around food waste collections From 1st January 2016, food waste businesses that produce more than 5kg of food waste each week, will be required to present it separately for collection.

for separate collection. However from 1st January 2016, that exemption limit drops to 5kg. This means that if you have a business that carries out any activity related to the processing, distribution, preparation, or sale of food, and your business produces more than 5kg of food waste each week, you will be required to present it for separate collection on a weekly basis.

When the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 came into force at the beginning of 2014, food waste businesses that produced less than 50kg of food waste each week were exempt from presenting that food waste

The types of businesses most likely to be affected by this change, are hotels; restaurants; cafes; shopping centre food courts; pubs or shops that serve food;

supermarkets; offices, schools or colleges with canteens; prisons; nursing homes; and hospitals. Businesses that limit their service to the preparation and service of drinks are not affected, and neither are the likes of offices that provide facilities for staff to consume food that they’ve brought onto the premises.

If your business is in one of the Clean Up Edinburgh areas, you can apply for a special dispensation to store food waste in a bin outside your premises, on public property.

Special dispensations won’t be granted in all cases, but it’s worth applying for.

Life is better when you share, so why not share a journey to work or any regular day out through TripshareSEStran?

TripsharesSEStran is the free, web-based car-sharing scheme that links car drivers or passengers who are making similar journeys in South East Scotland and who want to share the costs. The system can also match taxi, cycling or walking journeys.

members are happy to car share in return for a contribution towards costs and some friendly company for their journey.

Over 8000 people across South East Scotland are already sharing a regular journey, so why not join them and help reduce traffic congestion, while saving money and having company on your journey into the bargain?

TripshareSEStran also increases travel choices; provides effective travel options in rural areas which often have limited public transport alternatives; reduces members travel costs and can reduce the need for car ownership.

gender, smoking or non-smoking, disability issues and so on. All information is held in strict confidence and personal security is treated as a top priority.

Members can stipulate specific needs for their journeys including; preferred passenger

In fact you don’t even need to own your own car to car-share! Many TripshareSEStran

This year SEStran are celebrating National Liftshare Week by giving out £150 of high street shopping vouchers. to one lucky TripshareSEStran member who sends a “request to share” message between 28 September and 18 October 2015.

So sign up today and do your bit to reduce traffic congestion and keep the region moving.

October/November 2015

BC

57

BE THE BEST

Are your clients hungry for more marketing content?

There is a boom in content marketing driven by the expanding number of online and social channels.

And interestingly, despite my colleague’s predictions a decade ago that writing was old format and video was the thing of the future, the written element in marketing is continuing to be vital as web, social and email marketing grow.

demonstrating that this is an effective medium for pushing content to existing and potential clients.

Good written content is vital to the success of any online campaign, grabbing the reader’s attention, promoting the product or service, providing key information in a format that is relevant to the intended audience and ensuring there is a strong call to action. Often this core content will be posted on a blog or web page, but then multiple channels can be used to promote it – email and social media both being important.

In the past, direct marketing meant a letter in the post, but today it tends to mean an email to the inbox. Ensuring content is well-written, properly targeted and just right to wet your customer’s appetite will entice them to take the next step.

In marketing terms, your well-written digital content has to drive traffic to your website and then convert that traffic into sales.

According to a study by Exact Target, 77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based marketing by email than by other routes.

In the UK, ROI figures for email rose from £24 in 2013 to £38 in 2014,

Social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can be used to extend the reach of the content and grow your subscriber list.

Hilary Phillips is an expert in digital content, with extensive experience of writing for websites and training others to produce great content.

She delivers courses in ‘How to write compelling web content’ and ‘Effective email newsletters’ at Edinburgh Chamber. For further information and to book visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/training/courses Hilary Phillips

GET WITH IT Anyone still in doubt about the power of blogging in this Digital Era should take tips from two expert sources.

One is “Blogging and Other Social Media Exploiting the Technology and Protecting the Enterprise” by Alex Newson, Deryck Houghton, Justin Patten (Gower Publishing).

The other is from leading UK IT consultancy and services specialist Edinburgh-based Exception, whose client list includes HBOS, United Utilities, F&C, American Express, and Scottish Police Services Authority.

Newson and colleagues describe the blog as ‘incredibly useful’ for both the business

58

BC October/November 2015

By Bill Magee Scottish Business Technology Writer of the Year

running a series and the readership. “Also, the information is stored permanently on the internet.

Other hot topics include “valuing the pod generation” and how to work efficiently “up in the cloud”.

“With the right links and menus built into the blog design, a blog can act as a permanent information resource.” Blogging can also be seen as a form of marketing, a profile-raising tool and a method of networking.

Fast forward to this year and latest blogs ask teasingly: “Why can’t we be like Amazon?” plus an explanation of what the “3rd Platform” is all about.

Exception, with offices in Edinburgh, London and Manchester, fulfils all the above criteria with a curated archive of blogs stretching back over three years.

Then a blog discussed what companies need to consider with the fast emerging practice of employees bringing their own devices to work.

Other subject matter: effective defect management, planning for success in managing change within testing, and testing the bank of the future.

Take a dip into www.exceptionuk.com

EUROPE DIRECT EDINBURGH

Digital Agenda for Europe Part of the Europe2020 Strategy The European Commission’s Digital Agenda forms one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy which sets objectives for the growth of the European Union (EU) by 2020.

Funding Opportunities: Horizon2020

The Digital Agenda’s main objective is to develop a digital single market in order to generate smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe, and in turn has its own six objectives:

The EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation

n Achieving the digital single market In May 2015 the European Commission developed its Digital Single Market Strategy, to benefit from the best content, deals and services, across the EU, without being geo-blocked. Businesses should be able to market and share their ideas across the EU. Enhancing interoperability and standards.

n Strengthening online trust and security The European Commission, together with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in February 2013 published a cybersecurity strategy – “An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace” - together with a Commission-proposed Directive [SWD(2013) 31 & 32] on network and information security which was submitted to the European Parliament and Council.

n Promoting fast and ultra fast Internet access for all Europe has committed to download rates of 30 Mbps for all of its citizens and at least 50% of European households subscribing to internet connections above 100 Mbps by 2020. Currently the UK is aiming for 95% geographic coverage delivering 24Mbps download speed by 2017.

n Investing in research and innovation The European Commission seeks to invest in world-class ICT research and innovation in order to boost growth and jobs via innovative Public-Private Partnerships and by exploiting the opportunities available through Horizon 2020 research funding programs.

Running from 2014 to 2020 with an €80 billion budget, the EU’s new programme for research and innovation brings together all funding currently provided through the Framework Programme for Research & Technological Development (FP), the Competitiveness & Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

created the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs and Skills in 2013. This multi-stakeholder partnership endeavours to facilitate collaboration among business and education providers, and facilitate the public and private sectors in recruiting young people into ICT education and provide training for the unemployed.

The EU is exploring the potential of ICT utilisation in climate change through partnerships with emitting sectors; e-health, telemedicine systems and services; intelligent transport systems; and digitisation of multimedia and cultural content, through its Europeana Foundation.

EU investment via Horizon 2020 supports all forms of digital and ICT research and innovation that can best deliver new business breakthroughs, often on the basis of emerging technologies. It will provide funding for every stage of the innovation process from research to market uptake. In particular, ICT in Horizon 2020 will support the development of ICT in science, ICT in industrial leadership and ICT in societal challenges.

Visit the European Commission’s Digital Agenda website, to keep informed on upcoming funding opportunities, call for tenders and proposals.

@Horizon2020EU; http://ec.europa. eu/programmes/horizon2020/en or: Scotland Europa +44 (0)141 228 2860 richard.buxbaum@scotent.co.uk

n ICT-enabled benefits for EU society

Your local Europe Direct Information Centre is located at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. Get in touch if you have any questions about Europe and the European Union, whether about travelling, studying or working in the EU or regarding policy and legislation.

@DigitalAgendaEU; http://ec.europa.eu/ digital-agenda/en/digital-europe @ICTscienceEU @Europeanaeu; www.europeana.eu/portal/

n Promoting digital literacy, skills and inclusion

europedirect@edinburghchamber.co.uk

In order to promote employment in the ICT and digital skills sectors, the Commission

October/November 2015

BC

59

FEATURE: CONFERENCE CHRISTMAS FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Making the right decisions Whether you are booking a conference or a Christmas event, you need to know the answers to some pretty important questions when it comes to selecting a venue.

So how do you get it right? Well, it’s all down to first impressions - do you like the décor, does it look like it can generate a good atmosphere, are the staff friendly?

It is crucial to select venues that make as many people as possible feel welcome.

Older staff members might not appreciate a busy pub, younger ones might not want a restaurant whose clientele are normally on the older side. It’s worth putting a bit of thought into making a choice that strikes the right balance.

Choosing the right menu is important as well. People like choice so even though most guests will go for the traditional Christmas

meal, it’s a good idea to make sure there is an alternative - and definitely a vegetarian option.

Similar considerations apply when booking a conference. Again, the key to making such events a success is spending a little time choosing the right venue and making sure that you get the right support from its staff.

When assessing the venue you are looking at a number of important factors. Can the venue cope with the numbers expected to attend, has it got a good meeting room, will it provide equipment like projectors and Internet access, are the staff friendly and flexible in helping you meet your needs? If the answers to those questions are yes then the event is likely to be a success.

Hospitality at BT Murrayfield Make your matchday with Edinburgh Rugby that extra bit special with a superb hospitality package & VIP Tables in our hospitality suite.

Packages include: • 2 course meal • Q&A session with rugby legends • Pre and post match cash bar • Opportunity to meet players • Designated car parking pass • Official match programme

£79

from

inc VAT

per person per game or 3 games for £199 inc VAT To book call 0131 346 5250 or email niall.watson@edinburghrugby.org

60

BC October/November 2015

FEATURE: CONFERENCE CHRISTMAS FOCUS

CHRISTMAS AT Celebrate in style – in the contemporary setting of our hotel, located in Edinburgh old town just off the Royal Mile. Our Fogg’s restaurant and bar offers a wide variety of festive dishes, with three set menus to choose from.

Guests can experience a Winter Wonderland themed three-course dinner, and party until 1 am with our DJ. There will be a full bar service with cocktails available to order prior to your arrival.

Fancy making a short break of it? The hotel has 259 modern guest rooms and is within walking distance of Edinburgh Old Town, the world-famous Castle, and the city’s museums and nightlife – so it’s the perfect location for your festive celebrations!

GET THE IBIS VIBE

THIS CHRISTMAS ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge Hotel 77 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1HN E h8484@accor.com T +44 (0)131 292 0000 F +44 (0)131 292 0001

For more information or to make a booking contact us on 0131 292 0000.

The Perfect Christmas Present The Gift Voucher Half Day Visit Including: Lunch or Afternoon Tea From £49

Relaxing Spa Day Including: 2 Treatments & Lunch From £99

www.stobocastle.co.uk Tel: 01721 725300 reservations@stobocastle.co.uk Stobo Castle Health Spa, Stobo, Peeblesshire, EH45 8NY

October/November 2015

BC

61

ECC Members Offer:

20% discount on room hire until 31st December 2015.

Please quote code: QMUecc

Conferences & Events at QMU Looking for the perfect venue for your next meeting or event?

Look no further than QMU’s meeting and conference facilities.

Whether you’re organising a professional conference, seminar or workshop or are holding a social group gathering or a celebratory event, we can offer a comfortable, attractive space with a package to suit your needs.

62

■ in-house technical support; ■ bespoke catering packages for up to 300 clients; ■ dedicated events team and ■ an impressive collection of green credentials and awards.

QMU can offer: ■ lecture theatres that can accommodate up to 250 people;

To discuss your requirements in full detail or to arrange a site visit, please call 0131 474 0000 and ask for events or email events@qmu.ac.uk

■ smaller meeting and event spaces;

Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh EH21 6UU

■ high-tech facilities – AV, plasmas screens, interactive smartboards, electronic voting system;

www.qmu.ac.uk

BC October/November 2015

ADVERTORIAL

The RCPE announces a major investment into the refurbishment of their facilities The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) recently announced a major investment into the refurbishment of their Queen Mother Conference Centre, with work due to commence in 2016.

The Conference Centre built in the early 1980’s created a 300 seat raked theatre space behind a Georgian façade. The planned refurbishment will enhance, sustain and adapt the existing lecture theatre and foyer area to create a modern state of the art, 21st century Conference Centre. LDN Architects, who have a reputation for delivering innovative and award winning projects that address contemporary needs whilst protecting much valued heritage, are leading the design team.

The College was granted a Royal Charter

by King Charles II in 1681 and back then Physicians gathered together in their own homes to discuss the regulation of medical practice and standards. To this day, the RCPE remains committed to delivering excellence in medical education and standards to doctors throughout their careers and this purpose is facilitated within their Conference Centre and meeting rooms at 9-11 Queen Street.

This investment will not only benefit the RCPE’s Fellows and Members, but also their corporate clients providing a building fit for purpose, with improved technology, infrastructure and ease of movement for all no matter what their mobility requirements. A glass atrium will allow light to flood into the foyer creating a light and airy space.

CONFERENCES and MEETINGS at the ROYAL COLLEGE of PHYSICIANS of EDINBURGH

Modern conferencing in a historic setting Our comprehensive facilities at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh range from lecture theatre to meeting rooms, Great Hall and Georgian suite Choice of spaces for conferences, meetings, dinners and receptions for 3–300 and full AV support including video conferencing Stylish central Edinburgh location at 9 Queen Street Member of Unique Venues of Edinburgh

October/November 2015

BC

63

CHAMBER TRAINING

Training Course Calendar October

November

Thursday 1st October: 08.30 – 10.00 Management Essentials breakfast no. 6

Tuesday 3rd November: 09.30 – 16.30 Keep your customers

Thursday 1st October: 09.30 – 16.30 Advanced Google Analytics

Wednesday 4th November: 08.30 – 10.00 Management Essentials breakfast no. 7

Friday 2nd October: 09.30 – 16.30 Tendering for success

Thursday 5th November: 09.30 – 12.30 An introduction to basic Google Analytics

Friday 2nd October: 09.30 – 12.30 How to create a social media strategy and content plan

Friday 6th of November: 09.30 – 12.30 Email Marketing for Business

Monday 5th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Management Essentials day 2

Tuesday 10th November: 09.30 – 16.30 Difficult Situations: how to deal with difficult staff and customers effectively and confidently

Tuesday 6th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Leadership: how to lead, manage & coach your people to success Wednesday 7th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Winning Presentations: how to speak in public with power passion and confidence Friday 9th October: 09.30 -12.30 Twitter & Blogging for Business Tuesday 13th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Finance for non financial managers Wednesday 14th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Introduction to Project Management Thursday 15th October: 09.30 – 16.30 LinkedIn Masterclass, theory and practice Friday 16th October: 09.30 – 12.30 Instagram, Google + & Facebook for business Monday 19th October: 08.30 – 10.00 Management Essentials breakfast no. 2

Wednesday 11th November: 09.30 – 16.30 Sales Skills Thursday 12th November: 09.30 – 12.30 HR for non HR managers Wednesday 18th November: 09.30 – 16.30 Networking: how to build great business relationships and enjoy meeting strangers Thursday 19th November: 09.30 – 12.30 Export Documentation Tuesday 24th November: 08.30 – 10.00 Management Essentials breakfast no. 7 Wednesday 25th November: 09.30 – 16.30 Negotiating: how to negotiate and achieve the right deal for you and your customers Thursday 26th November: 09.30 – 4.30 How to Write Compelling Web Content

Wednesday 21st October: 09.30 – 16.30 Time Management: How to get more done in less time Friday 23rd October: 09.30 – 12.30 LinkedIn for Business Monday 26th & Tuesday 27th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Managing Change – Enabling Organisational Transformation Wednesday 28th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Process Mapping Thursday 29th October: 09.30 – 16.30 Documentary Letters of Credit

64

BC October/November 2015

To book please contact the training department on 0131 221 2999 option 3 or email: training@edinburghchamber.co.uk www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/training/courses

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Company name: Peter Vardy Limited Who? Peter Vardy, Chief Executive Officer Website: www.petervardy.com What were you doing between 10 and 12 this morning?

I run the business on a week by week basis and thus spend each Monday morning, carrying out Weekly Performance Calls with each of our Franchises. This allows us to review the previous week’s performance and focus on what needs to be achieved during the week ahead. The key areas of discussion focus on the following topics: Colleague, Guest, Manufacturer, Operations and Giving Back.

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

The recruitment of people and management to fit with the company culture.

What do you consider your biggest business triumph?

Starting the business from scratch in 2006, I didn’t know 90% of what I thought I did.

Do you have and money-saving business tips?

With every pair of hands comes a free brain. Ask your team how to make more money or how to save it; they know better than you.

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

I’m not sure about the stages but you need an attitude to continuously learn. As the best books say, you need to be humble and to be ferociously driven.

Who is your hero?

Where do you stand on work/life balance?

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

There is no substitute for hard work and often I find the pursuit of the goal is exciting. We are on a mission to create the best motor retailer in the UK and myself and all those at PVL are working passionately to make that happen. Success will be the realisation of a worthy goal.

Bethany Christian Trust is an award-winning Scottish Charity, working to relieve the suffering and meet the long-term needs of homeless and vulnerable people. Bethany provides amazing support to over 6,000 people across Scotland every year. Bethany staff and volunteers support people to overcome addictions, tackle social and educational barriers, equip and maintain a home and move on to brighter future. The Peter Vardy Foundation is extremely proud to be in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust, helping to turn empty houses into loving homes, sustaining tenancies and bringing cycles of repeat homelessness to an end.

What do you like to do on your spare time?

I am a self-confessed workaholic but when I do find time to unwind, I enjoy playing drums, going to the gym, spending time at my local church and with my wife, Anna and our golden retriever dog, Enzo.

What qualities do you need to see in your employees?

Grit, self-awareness, resourcefulness, compassion.

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

My Dad.

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

I love what I do but if I wasn’t doing that, then probably a Racing Driver.

They are not mutually exclusive.

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

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

Ayrton Senna.

Always retain a healthy discontent and always seek continuous improvement. The world is changing so fast; we need to be in a constant state of change and enjoy it.

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

Faith and family.

October/November 2015

BC

65

FEATURE: MOTORING

THE HEAD SAYS YES. THE HEART SAYS DEFINITELY, YES.

MASERATI GHIBLI. STARTING FROM £49,160

THE NEW MASERATI GHIBLI IS POWERED BY A RANGE OF ADVANCED 3.0 LITRE V6 ENGINES WITH 8-SPEED ZF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INCLUDING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, A V6 TURBODIESEL ENGINE. Official fuel consumption figures for Maserati Ghibli range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 20.5 (13.8) – 37.2 (7.6), Extra Urban 39.8 (7.1) – 56.5 (5.0), Combined 29.4 (9.6) – 47.9 (5.9). CO2 emissions 223 – 158 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is a Maserati Ghibli S at £70,383 On The Road including optional pearlescent paint at £1,776, 21” Titano design alloy wheels at £3,675 and Red brake callipers at £432. www.maserati.co.uk

GRAYPAUL EDINBURGH FORT KINNAIRD, EDINBURGH EH15 3HR Phone: 0131 475 4500 / Web: www.sytner.co.uk/maserati/graypaul-edinburgh

8524 GPE Ghibli advert 265x170.indd 1

04/08/2015 09:02

TURN FANTASY INTO REALITY

THE LOTUS ELISE S

Unlike other supercars, the latest Lotus Elise S need not remain a flight of fancy.

Its sculpted body, powerful supercharged engine and incredibly stiff and lightweight aluminium chassis makes the Elise one of the most involving and tactile sports cars you will ever drive.

And with the latest Lotus Finance offers, getting behind the wheel has never been easier.

STOP DREAMING, START DRIVING.

MURRAY

Elise S 20th Anniversary Representative Example Lotus 50/50 24 Months Cash Price £39,950.00 Deposit £19,975.00 Amount of Credit £19,975.00 22 Monthly Payments £0.00 Final Payment £19,975.00 Total Amount Payable £39,950.00 Duration of Agreement 24 months Representative APR 0% APR Interest Rate Fixed 0% APR

murraylotus.co.uk

Sighthill, Bankhead Drive, Edinburgh EH11 4DJ

0131 200 8888

Official fuel consumption, Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary Edition in mpg (l/100km): Urban 27.3 (10.3), Extra Urban 47.6 (5.9), Combined 37.5 (7.5). CO2 emissions: 175 g/km*. ** On the road price includes VAT, delivery, number plates, 12 months road fund licence and first registration fee. Finance is available to UK residents aged 18 years or over, subject to status. Excludes motability and fleet sales. Available at participating dealers only. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Prices correct at time of going online. Not available in conjuntion with any other offers.

Offer is only available through Lotus Finance provided by Black Horse Limited, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff, CF10 5BH. Please consult your local Lotus dealer for an exact quotation. Offer Ends: 30th September 2015.

66

BC October/November 2015

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

PRETTY EFFICIENT landrover.co.uk

Range Rover Evoque is more than just a pretty face.

With its new Ingenium engine, it handles power with ruthless economy.

Ingenium is the most efficient diesel engine we’ve ever produced, delivering figures you don’t expect from a car this capable. It’s so economical, your colleagues will arrive, in style,to do business – not to refuel.

With its striking design, Range Rover Evoque has charmed the world since its launch. Now it has a new EU6-compliant Ingenium diesel engine, it’s about to become very popular with fleet buyers everywhere.

Range Rover Evoque 2.0L eD4 150HP Manual 2WD SE 5Dr on Land Rover Contract Hire for Business users only* 36 Monthly Rentals (+20% VAT)

£254.60

Initial Rental in Advance (+20% VAT)

£2254.68

Mileage per Annum

8,000

Excess Mileage Charge (ppm) From:

113 g/km

CO2 emissions

9p

65.7

MPG

20 % BIK

Contact Leona Scott, your dedicated Local Business Development Manager for more information, or to arrange a test drive.

Pentland Land Rover Edinburgh

Newbridge, Edinburgh, EH28 8TH. Tel: 0131 273 2000 www.pentland.edinburgh.landrover.co.uk Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Evoque range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 27.4 (10.3) – 57.7 (4.9), Extra Urban44.1(6.4) – 76.4 (3.7), Combined 36.2 (7.8) – 67.3 (4.3).

CO2 emissions 181 – 109 g/km.

These figures are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. A vehicle’s actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.

*Important information – Business users only. Based on a Range Rover Evoque 2.0L eD4 150HP Manual 2WD SE 5Dr with standard specification, non-maintained. Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Contract Hire subject to status. This promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturer’s promotions and is subject to availability at participating Retailers only for new vehicles ordered by 30/09/15. Land Rover Contract Hire is a trading style of Lex Autolease Limited, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB.

October/November 2015

BC

67

INSPIRING CONNECTIONS Looking back on Summer 2015, it is with great pride that we announce, that even though we couldn’t do much about the weather, our summer was the hottest on record!

As the ECC’s calendar continues to inspire connections, we hosted the biggest Annual Summer Party ever! Successfully growing for the third year, we welcomed on August 13th, more than 170 delegates to Edinburgh Zoo. Starting off in the Budongo Trail with a drinks reception, members then headed to the Mansion House to party the night away and enjoy some surprise entertainment with “Sing in the City”. Edinburgh’s infamous choir headed up by Kirsty Baird delighted the audience while Cameron Presentations/ All event hire provided props, illuminating furniture and even a photocube! It was a sun soaked evening and we thank members for their amazing feedback!

Also, in August we welcomed the pioneering MD of Hunter Adams, Leigh Stott to present at another Inspiring Women in Business Workshop. Leigh discussed in depth her career, her integral role in the start up of Hunter Adams and her tips to other business women.

The Chamber Dining Club also welcomed another record attendance, this time to Divino Enoteca who kindly opened up exclusively for our lunch. Diners were treated to an Italian treat and the excellent team took fantastic care of all our members. The next Chamber Dining Club will be hosted on October 14th at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Bread Street. To book the remaining places please visit our website.

“Breakfast Connections” continues to unite the business leaders and decision makers of Edinburgh. On August 26th we welcomed, at another sold out event, for his first major address to the Edinburgh business community, Phil Verster, MD of the Scotrail Alliance. Phil’s presentations was open, honest, factual, entertaining and also enlightening. He discussed many topics from Waverley Station, to getting people moving, to goal of creating an excellent working culture within the Scotrail Alliance. Never has there been more questions asked and this is a credit and testament to the commitment of our members.

Also coming up in the calendar is Breakfast Connections with Jo Dow, CEO of our

68

BC October/November 2015

Partners in Enterprise Business Stream accompanied by Gordon Dewar CEO of Edinburgh Airport and Mally Graveson of HeeHaw. This Breakfast Connections will take place on October 29th at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Looking to November and December, we will be closing the year off in style with “Inspiring Women in Business” and the end of year lunch, 60 Really Useful Minutes with ABC events and of course the Annual Christmas

INSPIRING CONNECTIONS Party. This year hosted at the Hilton Grosvenor.

Hope to see as many members as possible over the coming months!

Stayed tuned for an announcement regarding the launch of our 5th Annual Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awardstaking place on February 29th 2016!

FORTHCOMING EVENTS October

November

December

Wednesday 7th 60 Really Useful Minutes: How Edinburgh Organises Christmas with Underbelly (10-11am)

Wednesday 4th 60 Really Useful Minutes: Event Planning for your Business (10-11am)

Wednesday 2nd 60 Really Useful Minutes: (10-11am)

Wednesday 14th Chamber Dining Club Lunch – DoubleTree by Hilton (12:30-2:30pm) Tuesday 27th Inspiring Women in Business Workshop The Waldorf Astoria (12:30-2:30pm) Thursday 29th Breakfast Connections with Jo Dow, Chief Executive of Business Stream and panel (8.30-10am) Friday 30th Chamber Catch Up - 40 George Street (8:30 – 10:00am)

Friday 4th Inspiring Women in Business End of Year Lunch with Nora Senior, Executive Chair, Weber Shandwick, UK Regions and Roseanna Cunningham MSP – The Waldorf Astoria (12:30-3:30pm)

Wednesday 11th Chamber Dining Club Dinner - The Voodoo Rooms (6-8pm) Friday 20th Speed Networking - The Royal College of Surgeons (8:30-11:00am)

Thursday 10th Annual Christmas Party - Hilton Grosvenor (6:30-9:30pm)

Thursday 26th Breakfast Connections with Ian Craig, CEO for Transport for Edinburgh - Ghillie Dhu (8:30-10am)

For all event queries please contact the Events Team on 0131 221 2999 option 2, e-mail events@edinburghchamber.co.uk or visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/ events/events

Friday 27th Chamber Catch Up - 40 George Street (8:30 – 10:00am)

And in other news, it is time for me to say goodbye. Considering I turned up at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce for the wrong job, I can’t believe I have been here two and a half years. Starting out as Events Executive in a graduate position then within a year heading up the Events Department, working with the Chamber has helped me realise so many of my dreams. I have truly loved my job and can’t thank members enough for all the support they have given me. As I embark on a new adventure in Melbourne I would like to take this opportunity to wish members and staff alike all the best for the future. I know it won’t be the same without me but there’s always Skype!

October/November 2015

BC

69

MOVERS AND SHAKERS New appointment at the City of Edinburgh Council Paul Lawrence has been appointed as Executive Director – Place for the City of Edinburgh Council.

He will be responsible for the development and delivery of frontline services across the city as part of the role, created under the Council’s new organisational structure.

Brand Satellite appoints New Business Development Manager Brand Satellite has recently welcomed Jessica Armstrong to the team as their New Business Development Manager. She brings to the role 15 years’ experience delivering communication strategies, implementing marketing campaigns and developing business opportunities in professional services and the creative industries.

The post is accountable for a range of major council services including travel and transport, housing, planning, waste and recycling and street cleansing.

Council Leader, Andrew Burns, chaired the Recruitment Committee. He said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Lawrence as Executive Director – Place. The calibre of applicant for the role was exceptionally strong and I am certain that we have chosen the right candidate for this new and important position.

Paul Lawrence began his local government career as arts director for Durham City Council before moving to Northern Arts as

assistant chief executive in 1997. His most recent position, as Corporate Director, Place, at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, has involved responsibility for the borough’s ‘Place’ services including waste and recycling, planning, transport and housing. Since joining the council in 2010, Paul has led on the development of new models of citizen engagement and service delivery throughout the borough, as well as overseeing corporate transformation and future strategy as part of the Corporate Leadership team.

Brand Satellite – a brand consultancy and integrated advertising, design and marketing agency – joined the Chamber in January this year. They provide a range of creative services to start-ups, SMEs and public sector organisations, throughout Edinburgh and Central Scotland.

Jessica will be helping new clients to take advantage of a full spectrum of marketing communications solutions, from initial brand workshops and brand identity creation to integrated marketing strategy and implementation.

B U SI N ES S CO MMENT IS AN E D I N B URGH CH AMBER OF COMMERCE PUBLICATION. Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Business Centre, 2nd Floor, 40 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LE www.edinburghchamber.co.uk President: Scott Black Chief Executive: Dave Birrell E D ITO R: Mayan Grace, Tel: 0131 221 2999 Email: mayan.grace@edinburghchamber.co.uk F E ATU RES ED ITO R David Forsyth, Tel: 07887 955778 Email: david@benchmarkpr.co.uk PRO D U CTIO N & D ES IGN Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2383 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk A DV ERTIS ING Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE John Neilson, Tel: 0845 884 2343 john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

DIS C L A IM E R

Distinctive Publishing or Business Comment cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Business Comment.

70

BC October/November 2015

Senior appointment in commercial property Murray Beith Murray has announced the appointment of Bill Meldrum as a Senior Associate within the Edinburgh-based law firm with a remit to develop their Commercial Property services. Bill brings ten years of experience in legal practice to the role having worked in several commercial law firms including Maclay Murray & Spens LLP. Of his appointment, Bill said: “I’m delighted to be joining Murray Beith Murray and look forward to drive the growth of the Commercial Property Department at a very exciting time for the industry.”

Hugh Younger, Senior Partner, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Bill to the firm. He brings a wealth of experience in a wide range of commercial property matters to Murray Beith Murray and will further strengthen the services we’re able to provide to our property clients.”

Leading Childcare provider appoints new Company Manager Tracey Bellany has more than 11 years childcare experience. Tracey joined East Lothian Out of School Care Network (ELOSCN) in 2004 as a Play Practitioner and progressed to Club Manager in 2007, stepping up to Interim Company Manger November 2014 and was delighted to be appointed to the role permanently in June of this year. ELOSCN is a Charity Organisation set up in 2003 with the help of East Lothian Council and the National Lottery to provide affordable quality childcare.

Tracey is building a strong team of people who are passionate about children and the care they receive. Furthermore her aim for the children and young people who use the services is to ensure the best possible standard of care, whilst offering a range of play experiences, and opportunities to extend play, build new relationships and master new skills.

no one should nono no one one one have should should should have have have no one nono no one one one

Over 100,000 people in Scotland are facing later Over 100,000 Over Over 100,000 100,000 peoplepeople in peopleinin life alone.

0

0

Scotland Scotland Scotland are facing are arefacing later facinglater later life alone. life lifealone. alone.

0

0

To find out how your business can help Age Scotland fight To find out To To find how find out your out how how business your your business business loneliness contact

can help can Age can help help Scotland Age Age Scotland Scotland fight fight fight alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk loneliness loneliness loneliness contactcontact contact alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk

October/November 2015

BC

Age Scotland is an independent Age Scotland charity Age Scotland registered is an independent is an inindependent Scotland. charity Registered charity registered registered company in Scotland. in No:Scotland.

153343.

Registered Registered Registered company company charity No: 153343.

No: No: SC010100.

153343.

Registered Registered charitycharity No: SC010100.

No: SC010100.

71

SQA JOURNEYS FOR SCOTLAND’S FUTURE Scotland’s future is our young people – the workforce of tomorrow. SQA qualifications prepare them for work, and give them the skills employers like you are looking for.

Find out where SQA Journeys can take your business.

www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

72

BC October/November 2015

Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys