Business Connect 7

connect business

SPRING2015 ISSUE 7

MID, EAST AND WEST LOTHIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

How much emotion is involved in buying products and services? chamber news

features

business news

views

interviews

80%

Creating Interest in your Products or Services takes a lot of time effort and money. Let us help you capture EVERY opportunity.

50%

We provide a wide range of call handling and telephone answering services, tailored to meet your needs.

80% of callers do not leave a message on answering machines or voicemail

If you focus on getting appointments by incoming telephone calls, research shows us that as many as 50% will buy

Restaurant Booking & Scheduling Service Appointment Booking & Diary Management Virtual Receptionist Service Trades Call Answering Solution

12%

Most companies miss at least 12% of their telephone calls

10%

Conservatively estimating 1 in 10 calls are a sales enquiry. How much business are you missing

Letting Agency Support

Call us today to discuss how we can help

0800 044 3090 info@aquariusuk.co.uk www.aquariusuk.co.uk

contents

06

Waste (Scotland) Regulations What is your Duty of Care?

Business Connect is a joint Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian Chambers of Commerce publication.

ALL EDITORIAL AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES: For Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Tel: 0131 603 5040 email: dita@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Moulsdale House 24D Milton Road East Edinburgh EH15 2PP www.melcc.org.uk Chief Executive: George Archibald

The Regeneration of Dalkeith Corn Exchange

For West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Tel: 01506 412909 email: brenda.cumming@wlchamber.com West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Alba Centre, Alba Business Park Rosebank, Livingston EH54 7EG www.wlchamber.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2384 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Company playing its part in shaping the green revolution

ADVERTISING Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2343 email: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

18

FEATURE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss email: deangriss@btinternet.com DISCLAIMER Distinctive Publishing or Business Connect 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 Connect.

connect business

HIAN EST LOT T AND W MID, EAS

CHAMBE

OMMER RS OF C

CE

IN S MAGAZ BUSINES

features

s business new

views

34

How much emotion is involved in buying products and services?

Member Close Up

03

Contents

Big Interview

20|21

ISSUE 7

Business News

04|05

Members News

24

Business News

06

Business News

26

Business News

08

New Members

Members News

10

Premier Partners

28

Chamber News

14|15

Business News

32

Cover Feature

18|19

Members Close Up

34

E

lved otion is invo es? ic rv How much em se d an s ct u buying prod s chamber new

Backups!!

Boring!!

Please read on

20

Chief Executive: Linda Scott

SPRING2015

14

04

in

30|31

Premier Partners

interviews

MARKETING

spring2015

businessconnect

3

businessnews

The Regeneration of Dalkeith Corn Exchange The Dalkeith Corn Exchange was built in 1854 by public subscription to provide a market place for the sale of grain from the fertile landscape of the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.

It is an interesting building designed by the architect David Cousin who also designed the Corn Exchanges in Edinburgh, Melrose and Kelso. The style of architecture is described as “Jacobean” by Historic Scotland in their listing description of the building. It is a Grade A listed building, one of the most important historic buildings in Dalkeith.

It has had an interesting history over the years and more recently has been vacant and at “risk”. The future of the building had been of concern to the local community in Dalkeith, watching it slowly decline has been very worrying. After lengthy reports, debates and difficult ownership issues a “knight in shining armour” has emerged to

4

businessconnect

save the building and bring it back to life!

Melville Housing Association has bought the building and is now, with the aid of grants from the Heritage Lottery fund and Historic Scotland, repairing, restoring and converting the building as their new office and a new museum for Dalkeith to be managed by the Dalkeith History Society.

When built, it was the largest indoor Corn Exchange in Scotland and Michael Lairds the appointed architects, have designed the scheme to enable the distinctive character of the building to remain. The space inside the building is dominated by the double hammer beam timber roof which is reputed to be one of the best examples in Scotland.

There is a gallery leading to a large meeting room on the first floor at the front of the building. This will be converted back to its original use as a board room which will be available for local community groups to use. The main reception at the front of the building will be publicly accessible with an exhibition about the history of the building which will be part of the Dalkeith Heritage Trail. The new museum will be located at the rear of the building on a new upper level with its’ own access from St Andrew Street.

Melville Housing Association has outgrown their existing office space in Eskdaill Court

in the centre of Dalkeith and were looking for new premises. There were a number of options but Melville wanted to remain in the centre of town and were keen to be a part of the town’s regeneration. They were involved in the Dalkeith Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) which has helped to upgrade and bring new investment into the town over the last 5 years. Melville supported the development of Dalkeith Heritage Trail and other community initiatives that were a key part of the Dalkeith THI. The scheme for the Corn Exchange was officially launched on 20th January 2015 at the Dalkeith County Hotel with a reception and presentations by Melville Housing Association, Michael Laird Architects (lead architects) and Colorado Group Ltd (main contractor).

Work has started on site and the plan is to complete the main work by Christmas 2015, with the new museum being open in late January 2016.

In addition to being a corn exchange, the building has traditionally played an extremely important role in the social, political and cultural life of Midlothian. It has provided a venue for gatherings of all kinds including; balls, banquets, lectures, concerts and exhibitions as well as being used as a

spring2015

businessnews

cinema, theatre and dancehall. It was also used for political meetings, playing host to several prominent politicians such as William Gladstone and Winston Churchill.

Partly due to the tradition of community use, a major part of the present scheme is community involvement and awareness raising and a heritage officer has been appointed by Melville to facilitate the development and implementation of a community activity plan. This is a job share

post, shared by Rod Lugg and Fiona Maher (see contact details below).

Local community groups will be encouraged to get involved in the project and a number of events will be organized to promote engagement and interest in the scheme.

Rod Lugg: 0131 654 4213 rlugg@melville.org.uk Fiona Maher: 0131 654 4212 fmaher@melville.org.uk

Want to start making Environmental Savings for your Business?

Is your business looking to improve its environmental practices and identify associated cost savings? Could you benefit from a short term, knowledgeable and enthusiastic resource? Why not consider hosting a student or graduate to work on the project on the Environmental Placement Programme.

The Environmental Placement Programme (EPP) engages with talented students and graduates from universities across Scotland. Bright Green Business manages and delivers the programme throughout the year. We will work with you to understand your project requirements and source the right candidate for your business to meet the desired outcomes of the project. The placements are short term, between eight and 12 weeks, and are fully supported by a mentor from Bright Green Business.

Our graduates have mounds of knowledge and skills to contribute to your business. So much so that,

spring2015

In the summer of 2014, Rosie, a first year Geography student from the University of Edinburgh, saved her host company £19,000 through revised packaging and waste procedures. She went on to identify a further £17,600 in energy and water savings.

You too could benefit from having a student or graduate to improve your environmental credentials in a short time. EPP also supports the development of Scotland’s young people wishing to pursue a career in the environment sector, working towards the Scottish Government’s priority of a “SMARTER, GREENER Scotland”.

80 per cent of our graduates were kept on by host companies last year. To date, EPP candidates have saved host companies £12 million through improved environmental practices and procedures.

If you have a project in mind, please get in touch with Rebecca@ thebusinesspartnership.org.uk or call 0131 603 5040 and Bright Green Business will be happy to help. www.brightgreenbusiness.org.uk

businessconnect

5

businessnews

Waste (Scotland) Regulations What is your Duty of Care?

Every organisation and business has a Duty of Care (a legal responsibility) for waste they generate. This means, you must:

n A 10 litre kitchen

caddy holds around 5 kg of food waste.

n Store your waste securely so it does not

cause litter or attract vermin.

n If a food business

n Ensure your waste is transferred to an

(in an urban area) produces more than 5 kg per week, they will also be required to segregate food waste for collection by 01 January 2016.

authorised collector such as your local authority or a reputable waste contractor. n Complete a waste transfer note for any

transfer of waste and retain a copy of this note for two years. n If carrying your own waste to recycling

facilities you should be appropriately registered with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). This registration is free and the simple application form is available on the SEPA website. (1) Plus, recent waste regulations require that all business and organisations in Scotland (big & small) present the following materials for recycling: n glass (including drinks bottles & rinsed

empty food jars) n metal (including cans, tins) n plastic (including, drinks bottles & rinsed

empty food containers) n paper n cardboard

Food businesses (2) (such as cafĂŠs, restaurants or food takeaways) which produce over 50 kg of food waste per week also have to present food waste separately for collection unless excluded by a rural location.

1. www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation/waste_ carriers_and_brokers/who_needs_to_register 2. Food Business is defined as an undertaking, whether for profit or not, and whether public or private, carrying out any activity relating to the processing, distribution, preparation or sale of food.

5 easy steps to stay within the law 4. Use the rural postcode search tool – to check if your business is rural and therefore exempt from the requirement to segregate food waste. www.resourceefficientscotland.com/ resource/waste-scotland-regulationsfaq-rural-postcode-finder-tool

1. Speak with your local authority or waste contractor. They should be able to offer advice and a service that enables you to comply with your Duty of Care.

Putting all your waste in a single bin is not compliant if any recyclables are present any contractor that offers such a service should be reported to SEPA. 2. Do not contaminate recyclables or food waste. Your waste contractor may refuse to uplift recyclables or food waste (or charge extra) if they are contaminated by other materials. Use clear bags to collect recyclables, black bin bags should only be used for general waste.

3. Train your staff and make sure they know how to recycle in the workplace.

Label bins stating clearly what should be recycled and ensure staff know what

6

businessconnect

goes where. Use the free online poster creator tool to help staff to recycle effectively www.resourceefficientscotland.com/ PosterCreator

5. Try to reduce waste. Look at what you are paying to have waste collected and think about how to reduce the amount of waste you produce. Seek advice from your waste contractor, local authority or contact Resource Efficient Scotland for free specialist advice and support. An overview of the regulations and free, supporting resources are available online at www.resourceefficientscotland.com/ regulations

spring2015

advertorial

Phoenix Phoenix Drilling Ltd Phoenix Drilling Ltd Drilling Ltd Rotary Drilling Soils Boring Rotary Drilling

Geothermal Installations Soils Boring Rotary Drilling In-situ Testing Geothermal Installations Soils Boring Laboratory Testing In-situ Testing Geothermal Installations Water Well Construction Laboratory Testing In-situ Testing Desk Water Well Studies Construction Laboratory Testing Mineral Stability Desk Water Well Studies Construction Geotechnical Appraisals Mineral Stability Desk Studies Geoenvironmental Assessments Geotechnical Appraisals Mineral Stability

www.phoenixdrilling.co.uk Geoenvironmental Assessments www.phoenixdrilling.co.uk E: info@phoenixdrilling.co.uk E: info@phoenixdrilling.co.uk www.phoenixdrilling.co.uk Geoenvironmental Assessments Geotechnical Appraisals

4 Maxwell Square Brucefield Industry Park 4 MaxwellEH54 Square Livingston, 9BL Brucefield Industry T: 01506 411 448Park 4F:Maxwell Square Livingston, EH54 9BL 01506 414 477 Brucefield Industry T: 01506 411 448Park Livingston, EH54 9BL F: 01506 414 477 T: 01506 411 448 F: 01506 414 477

Kintail House Beachwood Business Park Kintail House Inverness, IV2 3BW Beachwood T: 01463Business 250 066 Park Inverness, IV2 501 3BW F:Kintail 01463 House 732 Beachwood T: 01463Business 250 066 Park Inverness, IV2 501 3BW F: 01463 732 T: 01463 250 066 F: 01463 732 501

111 Gallowgate Aberdeen, 111AB25 Gallowgate 1BU Aberdeen, T: 01224 900 018 111 Gallowgate AB25 1BU799 F: 01224 619 Aberdeen, T: 01224 900 018 AB25 619 1BU799 F: 01224 T: 01224 900 018 F: 01224 619 799

E: info@phoenixdrilling.co.uk

spring2015

businessconnect

7

businessnews

The Benefits of Employee Benefits last year estimated that these could run at a whopping £30,614 per employee.

With the costs of recruiting taking a serious chunk out of budgets SMEs should be reviewing how they can retain their staff for longer. Alongside developing a great culture, providing the right mix of employee benefits can be a critical component in a successful long-term plan for attracting and retaining employees, proving to be the competitive advantage employers need to succeed. And it needn’t cost the earth either.

Giving your staff access to these benefits will not just mean you increase your chances of holding on to them it can have the bonus of delivering improved business performance as well. Research has repeatedly demonstrated the links between the way people are managed, with the attitude of employee and business performance.

Achieving staff satisfaction and loyalty is not just about salary (although it helps!, it’s about the whole package and the culture that you as an employer provide. A pertinent illustration of this are the results of a recent survey showing that 61% of staff would consider changing jobs to increase their holiday leave and 1 in 3 indicated that they would take a pay cut to secure more days off.

These latest findings bolster the case for ensuring good employee benefits to assist

with recruitment and ultimately retention as well.

Most companies will be fully aware of the logistical cost of replacing an employee with expenditure such as advertising costs and agency fees, as well as invested time such as interviewing prospective candidates. But the money lost in productivity during handover and induction periods can spiral even further and this is a factor that is often not properly considered. A study by Oxford Economics

The HR Dept, through has a range of solutions available for local businesses such as a Staff Discount Scheme, an Employee Assistance Programme (including counselling) and a Health Benefit Scheme.

We can help your business as well as improve staff wellbeing.

To find out about our HR Dept Benefits and how we can help you with the recruitment and retention of your staff just contact Ian Pilbeam at Ian.pilbeam@hrdept. co.uk, or 0131 2977 545

Beware new VAT laws, warns local small business tax specialist Small business owners who sell digital services are being warned to beware of new VAT laws that have come into effect.

Alasdair Maclean who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Dalkeith and Fairmilehead said that many local small businesses and sole traders, including website and mobile app developers, providers of pre-recorded online training courses and musicians, could be affected by the new rules. He said: “If you supply digital services to UK customers only, or to other VAT-registered businesses, then these changes do not apply to you. Anyone who provides digital services to consumers in other European Union member states will now have to pay VAT in that country. Unfortunately, there is no de minimus income level, so even if you have a full time job and you develop apps as a sideline, these changes could affect you.

8

businessconnect

“To comply with the new law, business owners must register for VAT with each country they sell to. There are 28 countries in the EU with 75 different VAT rates, so the costs and administrative burden could be enormous.

“To avoid this headache, there is the alternative to register with HMRC’s Mini One Stop Shop scheme – or VAT MOSS – and submit a single quarterly return and VAT payment. HMRC then sends the information and pays each relevant country’s tax authority. This route doesn’t escape the need to register for UK VAT, but thankfully HMRC have confirmed that domestic sales won’t have VAT applied to them provided they’re under the VAT registration threshold.

“There has been a storm of protest to this new legislation from small business owners across the UK, who are telling the

Government it would wipe out any benefits to trading in Europe.”

TaxAssist Accountants Dalkeith and Fairmilehead is a local business, providing tax and accountancy advice and services purely to small businesses across Midlothian.

spring2015

advertorial

n An artist’s impression of the dedicated Fashion and Style gallery which will feature the work of leading designers such as Jean Muir, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood.

n The Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland

n An artist’s impression of the Enquire gallery which will include the story of Scottish Nobel Laureate Sir James Black, famous for discovering ‘beta blockers’ and the first drug to treat stomach ulcers.

Transforming the National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland has been transformed in recent years.

An ambitious £80 million Masterplan at this Edinburgh landmark has restored the magnificent Victorian building to its former glory and created 16 new galleries, a dedicated gallery for international touring exhibitions and new facilities for visitors and corporate hire clients.

The site which is run by National Museums Scotland is now recognised as a museum of international importance and it is the

spring2015

most-visited UK attraction outside London generating £67.8 million in gross value added (GVA) to the Scottish economy.

Ten further galleries are now being developed which will showcase the museum’s internationally significant collections in decorative art, design, fashion, and science and technology.

Confirmation of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Government marked the official start of this £14 million project in early summer 2014 with work underway on site to create the dynamic new galleries.

A further grant of £1.3 million from the Wellcome Trust has been awarded to develop the six science galleries as a major hub for public science engagement in the UK and beyond. This support will particularly focus on biomedical science.

Opening in 2016, the innovative new galleries will explore the excitement and impact of scientific discovery and invention and the creativity of applied arts, fashion and design. They will champion excellence and innovation - an inspiration for the scientists, engineers, artists and designers of today and tomorrow. Display space for these areas will increase by 40%, showcasing over 3000 objects three-quarters of which have not been on permanent display for generations.

Two further galleries are in development which will open in 2018 presenting the museum’s major ancient Egyptian and East Asian collections. Both of these collections are internationally important and amongst the finest in the UK. Find out more about the project on www.nms.ac.uk/masterplan.

businessconnect

9

membersnews

Business takes lead to promote next generation of innovators the West Lothian area will be able to get real hands-on business experience with Mitsubishi, a world-leading company.

“The Pump it Up Challenge is designed to support young people in developing skills which are beneficial to their future development. By working with Mitsubishi, young people can understand how science and technology interact with each other to create products and solutions.

“With industry and education working more closely together, our spirit of collaboration is creating a new generation of skilled and dynamic young people with the ability to innovate and passion to create.”

West Lothian Chamber of Commerce showcased the “Pump It Up” Challenge to Minister for Youth & Women’s Employment, Annabelle Ewing MSP .

In partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, the Challenge was piloted with 160 S3 pupils from Armadale Academy and proved an outstanding success in promoting innovation and creativity and supported young people in developing skills beneficial to their future development.

The partnership has now extended across eleven secondary schools in the West Lothian area – opening up a wealth of opportunities for young Scots. The competition will enable students to work on projects related to the environment and renewables with the aim of better understanding science and technology in green energy.

Showcasing the success of the “Pump It Up” Challenge, Linda Scott, CEO of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce, said: “As business, we have a vital hands-on role to play in working with young people in our areas to ensure business skills are part of every young person’s DNA. The success of our pilot means that hundreds of school pupils across

Rodney Ayre, Senior Department Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Air conditioning Systems Europe Ltd, said: “The schools project has created a link between Mitsubishi Electric and the local schools within the West Lothian area developing the workforce of the future and ensuring students get first-hand experience of manufacturing, environment and renewables. This activity promotes Mitsubishi Electric’s commitment to Scotland and the local community.”

Minister for Youth & Women’s Employment, Annabelle Ewing MSP, said: “It is vitally important to show young people the whole range of fascinating and challenging job opportunities there are available to them. I am delighted to support and celebrate the Pump it Up Challenge for sparking the interest of so many pupils. Our continued focus on linking industry to our schools, colleges and universities is opening up new avenues for young people and showcasing the full range of paths that can lead to rewarding and life-long careers.”

Liz Cameron, CEO & Director of Scottish Chambers of Commerce commenting on the Challenge said: “This is a perfect example of the kind of impact that can be achieved when industry and education come together. Already, the schools network and hundreds of young people in the West Lothian area are benefiting from a wealth of experience and knowledge by collaborating directly with Mitsubishi.

Sibbald goes green The environment and the effect we have on it has never been more prominent in people’s minds, wherever in the world you may be.

As an industry leading Training provider, established for nearly 30 years, Sibbald Training believe we have an obligation, as all businesses do, to think about our carbon footprint and the effect it has on our surroundings.

Sibbald Training was sure there was a way to reduce our carbon emissions and convert our company into an eco-friendly one, while enjoying the cost savings such an investment might offer.

Over the last ten years an investment of £469,000 has been made to achieve that goal.

Since 2003 Sibbald have converted 15 of our vehicle fleet to LPG fuel systems. Costing

10

businessconnect

almost half the price of petrol, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas conversion has paid for itself and offered a huge return on investment since implication. With CO2 emissions 10% lower than petrol and NOx (smog making chemical) 80% lower than diesel, joining the 30 million LPG vehicles worldwide is a real point of pride for Sibbald Training.

A £22k investment was also made in 2012 to add solar panels to Sibbald Training properties and in 2013 £45k was spent on Geo Thermal/Ground Source heat pumps.

2014 saw the introduction of a fully electric BMW car and the installation of an on-site charging point, which is available for public use, at a cost of £30k to Sibbald Training.

Phase one of our conversion to energy efficient LED lighting in our offices began in 2014 too with initial costs in excess of £2k.

This year, 2015, will see perhaps our most ambitious energy saving investment. Our 100kw, £370k Wind turbine looks set to be functional by summertime this year.

With savings well in excess of £80k per annum our initial costs will be offset very quickly, allowing Sibbald Training to enjoy the benefits of becoming Energy efficient far into the foreseeable future.

A wise and fruitful investment, both for the world and community at large and for our long standing and progressive company.

spring2015

To Let

Modern office suites and pavilions on a superb motorway location

Available accommodation of 2,800 sq ft – 10,000 sq ft Visit: www.fairwaysoffices.co.uk

EH54 8AF, Junction 3 of M8

A

FT

Deer Park Golf & Country Club

Heineken

Premier Inn

R

M&S Simply Food

D

To Town Centre

Deer Park Roundabout

Slip road to M8 Westbound

High speed internet connection Dedicated upload and download bandwiths of 10 – 100mb available. Live within 24 hours.

Corporate Golf Membership included in all 2015 leases

Ryden 46 Castle Street Edinburgh EH2 3BN

McKenzie Pollock 69 Buchanan Street Glasgow G1 3HL

Tel: 0131 225 6612

Tel: 0141 314 3703

* For Terms and Conditions please contact the agents.

Peter I’Anson peter.ianson@ryden.co.uk

Vivienne Maclean vmaclean@mckenziepollock.co.uk

Iain Taylor iain.taylor@ryden.co.uk

advertorial

Are you passionate about moving your business forward?

Getting the most from your people, motivating them and giving them space to develop themselves to their full potential are not only key ingredients of great leadership, they are vital ingredients in advancing your business!

Working with companies of all sizes and across all industries, our passion and expertise brings about positive transformation within individuals, teams and leaders of all experience levels.

Contact us now to book your FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION

With Christmas fast approaching, now is the perfect time to consider – if you haven’t already done so – what development opportunities you will provide for your greatest asset – your people – in 2015.

Monarch’s Director – Nikki Cinderey – approaches freelance, associate and contract training work with professionalism, energy and commitment.

Specialising in key ‘people skills’ subjects such as:

Talk to Nikki Cinderey on: 07507 489347 See what we can do for you at: www.monarchtraining.co.uk Email us at: nikki@monarchtraining.co.uk We offer a wide range of services including:

NCinderey78

n A full consultancy service, resulting in bespoke

Linkedin.com/in/nikkicinderey

n

n leadership

n

n communication

n

n behaviours

n

n customer services

n

n business development

n n

training solutions professionally designed, delivered and evaluated, directly in line with the specific needs of your business Webinar design, delivery and evaluation Trainer training Individual or group coaching Teambuilding events Induction training Training delivery/facilitation Off-the-shelf or bespoke training courses

Invest in your people and let us partner you in advancing your business

Join us in the cloud to revolutionise the way you manage your business

t: 01506 630 130

With cloud-based software we FREE UP YOUR TIME and ours to focus on your day-to-day business. We can work on the same data as you, at the same time. AND you can access your accounts anytime, anywhere. As a result you will get: • A meaningful face-to-face relationship with a trusted business partner who understands your business goals and helps you achieve those goals.

• Regular reviews of results, tailored to your business.

• Improved profits.

• Improved cash flow.

• Confidence that tax returns and annual accounts are taken care of.

• Reduced stress as we help you deal with your finances, HMRC, bank and investor meetings and new finance staff.

• A friendly, approachable accountant who will help you make better business decisions.

As a family run business we have the flexibility to create services to suit your business and budget.

Contact us to find out how we can support your business. e: Michelle@GregoryAccounting.co.uk m: 07722 141 743 www.GregoryAccounting.co.uk

Your Business, Our Passion

12

businessconnect

spring2015

midlothiancouncil

It’s a dog’s life for one Midlothian small business owner They say... every dog has his day and for one Midlothian business owner this is particularly true.

Katy Clarke began her dog crèche business, Barclay Park, in September 2014 after running a dog walking business for 12 years before that.

Katy’s love of dogs certainly shines through.

Clients take their dogs to the crèche, based in Danderhall in the morning and pick them up in the evening.

The dogs get the chance to enjoy walks and fun in the nearby countryside – making it the perfect solution for doggie day care.

Midlothian Business Gateway helped Katy with advice and information, when she embarked on her business.

Katy said: “I’ve used Midlothian Business Gateway for the past 12 years, both in my previous business and in the new one.

“When I started the most recent business, it was staffing issues and employment laws which frightened me. As a trained accountant I was okay with the other things, but really needed advice on staff matters.

“So I went to Business Gateway to get advice on employment and I got the confidence boost I needed with their sound advice.

“Just knowing they are there, on your side are supportive is a massive comfort to anyone starting a business.”

Katy Clarke and her staff with several ‘enthusiastic clients at her premises

Gateway advisors all the help you need is on hand both in person and at the end of the phone.

“I wish Barclay Park every success going forward – as it really is quite an exceptional business idea and a much sought after service.”

To find out more about Barclay Park, log on to: www.barklaypark.co.uk For further information on Midlothian Business Gateway please call: 0131 271 3377 or visit the national website: www.bgateway.com

We’re bringing our advisors to you to make it easier for you to access high quality support.

We’re bringing our advisors to you to make it easier for you to access high quality support.

Find Business Gateway at the following locations throughout Midlothian.

Find Business Gateway at the following locations throughout Midlothian.

Business-in-a-Box

Dates: Fridays 9.30am to 12:30pm

The essential foundation to be ready to start trading

May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 19, 26 July 3

And Katy is especially pleased to realise that she is part of a growing army of female entrepreneurs starting up business in Midlothian. She said: “It can be quite daunting to start up your own businesses, so it is good news and really inspirational that more women are taking the plunge and starting up businesses in Midlothian.”

Create your ideal business from scratch with free professional support from Business Gateway. Gain the tools, confidence and knowledge you need to start your successful business.

More information: Contact Deborah Crompton at Business Gateway Tel: 0131 271 3588 Email: Deborah.Crompton@midlothian.gov.uk

Councillor Jim Bryant, cabinet member for economic development, added: “Well done Katy, here we see another, thriving business within our local community going from strength to strength.

Free childcare is provided if required.

“It takes courage and guts to start up a business, but with the help of our Business

Register free at www.bizstart.eventbrite.co.uk

Module 1: Build Confidence and Turn your business dream into reality

Start Up Advice sessions:

Module 2: Ready to go – set yourself up for success Please call free 0131course 271 3377 book anstart appointment, Commit to this andtoyou will the or contact via email bg@midlothian.gov.uk business you’veusalways wanted.

Invest just eight mornings and some additional time between sessions.

Find out more at our Information sessions Gorebridge primary Thursday 9th April, 10:30 – 11:30am Dates/location TBC for Bonnyrigg/Lasswade, Mayfield, Penicuik contact Deborah to get details.

Venue: Gorebridge Primary School Community room

0845 609 6611

HighGrowth Growth and New Enterprise High and New Enterprise Allowance advisors based Allowance advisors areare based at: at: Fairfield House House Fairfield LothianRoad, Road,Dalkeith Dalkeith EH22 3ZN 88 Lothian EH22 3ZN HighGrowth Growthadvice advice often delivered at premises the premHigh is is often delivered at the ises ofcustomers. our customers. of our It’s now noweven eveneasier easiertoto appointment It’s getget anan appointment with with our our team.By Bymaking makingthat that appointment, youtaking are taking team. appointment, you are the the first step to securing a better future for your first step to securing a better future for your business. business. www.facebook.com/BGMidlothian www.facebook.com/BGMidlothian www.twitter.com/BGMidlothian www.twitter.com/BGMidlothian For more moreinformation information www.bgateway.com For visitvisit www.bgateway.com

0845 609 6611 www.bgateway.com 0845 609 6611

www.bgateway.com 0845 609 6611

www.bgateway.com

www.bgateway.com

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations.

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations.

Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

0845 609 6611

Business Gateway services areofdelivered by partner Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations.

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support associated organisations.

Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

www.bgateway.com

spring2015

businessconnect

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations.

Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

13

chambernews

Backups!! Boring!!

Please read on This article is going to focus on a part of IT support often forgotten about but very important BACKUPS

reviewed on a regular basis and backup checks are done on a regular basis.

As all companies have different needs I will give a general backup strategy we use for small to medium sized businesses using a server.

1. Reliable backup software.

2. Media to store the backup on Tape, hard drive, The cloud

Here is the scenario; you come into the office on a Monday morning and switch on your PC but have no email or server access. You go to the server room the window is open and the server has gone!!! A bit extreme and worst case scenario but this can happen.

3. Set regular backup times

What do you do? Call the police? Yes, but how do you get a working server with your data on it?

Step 1: Run backups at a predefined time that suits the business needs to an internal backup drive or a USB backup drive. This allows us to access the backup files for recovering lost data say a user deletes a folder on the server. It also lets us check the backup files.

How long can your business survive without access to email, data, databases, etc.?

Does your company run backups? How regular? Have they been working? Do you have an offsite backup? Will the backup work?

Lots of questions and it all depends on how much down time your company can afford and how much data can be lost without it impacting the business. Every company has different needs so it is vital that this is

14

businessconnect

4. Daily check to make sure the backup ran without any errors 5. Periodic checks to see if files can be recover from a backup

drive, tape or cloud storage. At some point during that day a designated person on site swaps the removable drive or tape and takes this off site at the end of the night.

If it it’s moved to the cloud then this is not applicable.

Step4. Periodically we will check we can recover files from a random sample of backups to make sure we are happy in the event of a server crash or worse we can recover the data.

Planning Your Backup Strategy

Step2. After the backup finishes we then copy the files to a removable hard drive tape or to the cloud, again depending on data size and company’s needs.

1. What To Backup The first step in planning your backup strategy is identifying what needs to be backed up. Identify the files and folders that you cannot afford to lose? It involves going through your documents, databases, pictures, videos, music and program setup or installation files. Some of these media like pictures and videos may be irreplaceable.

Others like documents and databases may be tedious or costly to recover from hard copies. These are the files and folders that need to be in your backup plan.

Step3. We check the server backup program for any errors and verify the backup work to the fixed backup drive and the removable

2. Where To Backup To This is another fundamental consideration in your backup plan. In light of some content

spring2015

chambernews

being irreplaceable, the backup strategy should protect against all events. Hence a good backup strategy should employ a combination of local and offsite backups.

Local backups are needed due to its lower cost allowing you to backup a huge amount of data. Local backups are also useful for its very fast restore speed allowing you to get back online in minimal time. Offsite backups are needed for its wider scope of protection from major disasters or catastrophes not covered by local backups.

3. When To Backup Frequency: How often you backup your data is the next major consideration when planning your backup policy.

Some folders are fairly static and do not need to be backed up very often. Other folders are frequently updated and should correspondingly have a higher backup frequency like once a day or more.

Your decision regarding backup frequency should be based on a worst case scenario.

For example, if tragedy struck just before the next backup was scheduled to run, how much data would you lose since the last backup. How long would it take and how much would it cost to re key that lost data?

Backup Start Time: You would typically want to run your backups when there’s minimal usage on the computers. Backups may

spring2015

consume some computer resources that may affect performance. Also, files that are open or in use may not get backed up.

Scheduling backups to run after business hours is a good practice providing the computer is left on.

Since servers are usually left running 24 hours, overnight backups for servers are a good choice.

4. Backup Types Many backup software offer several backup types like Full Backup, Incremental Backup and Differential backup. Each backup type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Full backups are useful for projects, databases or small websites where many different files (text, pictures, videos etc) are needed to make up the entire project and you may want to keep different versions of the project.

5. Compression & Encryption As part of your backup plan, you also need to decide if you want to apply any compression to your backups. For example, when backing up to an online service, you may want to apply compression to save on storage cost and upload bandwidth. You may also want to apply compression when backing up to storage devices with limited space like USB thumb drives.

If you are backing up very private or sensitive data to an offsite service, some backup tools and services also offer support for encryption. Encryption is a good way to protect your content should it fall into malicious hands. When using encryption, always ensure you remember your encryption key. You will not be able to restore it without your encryption key or phrase.

6. Testing Your Backup A backup is only worth doing if it can be restored when you need it most. It is advisable to periodically test your backup by attempting to restore it. Some backup utilities offer a validation option for your backups. While this is a welcome feature, it is still a good idea to test your backup with an actual restore once in a while.

By MacD IT www.macdit.co.uk

businessconnect

15

Scotland’s future is prepared for work

SQA helps individuals realise their potential and achieve their ambitions by providing a wide range of high quality, internationally recognised qualifications and associated services.

Our qualifications are designed and structured to support people on their individual learning journeys, and give Scottish businesses a competitive advantage by enhancing the quality of the workforce.

We are ambitious for Scotland’s businesses, and a smart, well-trained and qualified workforce is essential for the future.

Understanding Qualifications

Local expert advice

At first sight, the Scottish qualification system might seem complex, but it is really very straightforward to understand. The fundamental aim is to provide a ‘learning ladder’ (or perhaps climbing frame would be more accurate, since you can go horizontally as well as up) that provides opportunities for everyone to achieve their full and true potential.

Every company working with SQA benefits from their own dedicated Regional Manager, an expert advisor they can trust. It’s a simple idea, but one that works perfectly — provide one main point of contact who takes time to get to know our customers and their business. The more customers know about what SQA will bring to their business, the more they will benefit.

The wide variety of qualifications offered by SQA, at various levels, allows the individual to plan their future path by offering a relevant qualification at the appropriate level so they can move sideways, or upwards, but always towards new skills. By developing their own abilities, they add to the growing pool of skills available to benefit Scotland’s economy.

Backed by a support team, and with access to sector specialists, your Regional Manager can advise on SQA’s very broad range of high quality, inclusive awards, and also the extensive customer services including accrediting and endorsing inhouse training.

Recognised by industry SQA qualifications are developed in partnership with industry experts across hundreds of sectors.

They cover a range of levels offering something for everyone, from new starts to senior management.

We quality-assure every qualification and make sure they keep pace with industry advances and changing regulations.

Our qualifications are credit rated on The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), so they are easy to understand and universally transferrable. School, college, university, and many work-based qualifications are compared using two measures: level and credit. The level of a qualification shows how difficult the learning is, and the amount of credit shows the size of the qualification.

Find out more Successful relationships are formed by listening to your requirements and developing an understanding of your business. To find out more, please go to www.sqa.org.uk/businessdevelopment “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.

SQA qualifications, highly regarded across the world for their consistent standards, are a valuable asset to those who achieve them.

They prepare people for life in general as well as for progression into further study, training or employment.”

Dr Janet Brown, SQA Chief Executive

Further information all about where SQA Qualifications sit on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework can be found at www.sqa.org.uk/scqf

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

coverfeature

How much emotion is involved in buying products and services? n Is this trendy? How will it make me look?

If customers won’t buy what they need from you, why not sell them what they want?

Non-functional - remember, it’s there to do a job n Colour n Shape n Size

People This isn’t a piece of marketing speak. Most if not all research has shown that buying decisions - even for business - have a large chunk of emotion involved. Nobody seriously believes that the cheapest offering is likely to be the best deal but in the absence of supporting facts, that’s what people go for.

(For the purpose of this article, ‘need’ is towards the logic end of the scale, whilst a ‘want’ is deemed to be more emotional).

Business buying decisions A good proportion of business people will tell you that all their decisions are based solely on logic. To say otherwise would at the very least cause a loss of face. On a more serious level it could cost them their job - who wants an executive who makes buying decisions based on emotion?

Despite protestations to the contrary, the reality is very different. The boss doesn’t like the colour; the accountant says it’s too expensive - based on what?; the office manager doesn’t like that company.

Nevertheless most business purchases clearly originate with a need. Why buy a printer if you don’t need one? But as the seller, how do you stop emotions derailing your proposal?

Let’s have a look at some of the more irrelevant aspects regularly included in a purchasing decision: Ego n Another Department has a better

printer - so what? n They have the upgraded version -

and??? n Theirs collates. You don’t need this

facility, but ‘they’ have it

18

businessconnect

n Non-users have an input. Sometimes

relevant, sometimes not (see above) n Finance: either you need it or you don’t

- that’s not to say you blow the budget.

Why not do a cost / benefit analysis? n All of the above have to a greater or

lesser extent, an emotional input to the buying decision. The larger the organisation, the more people involved therefore the more emotional the decision. n What does this mean for the selling

company?

Fact finding From the outset you should be looking for the emotional input. Who else is involved?

What do they use currently? Have a look around - do they appear to be Spartan in their outlook or do they make a case for conspicuous consumption? Who makes the final decision - a user or a non-user?

Clearly the amount of time you can afford to spend on fact-finding has a direct relationship with the value of the account.

However, the inescapable fact is that the more effort you put in at this stage the more successful you will be at the next: putting forward your proposal.

don’t need it for a week, that’s not a benefit either.

Fact finding will tell you what you need to know. Assuming that the prospective customer is genuine, you can now present a proposal which brings together the logical and emotional aspects of this particular sale.

But - this is crucial - you must put logic to the fore. Business people will never allow themselves to be seen making a decision based on emotion. This doesn’t mean that emotion will be ignored. Logic gets you to first base; it’s how you cover the emotional side which will increase your chances of winning you the sale.

Therefore every time you touch on something less than objective about your product or service you must support it with ‘facts’. The buyer(s) must be able to justify their decision to others within their organisation. If you can’t help them do this you are jeopardising your chances of winning the business.

Summary Be aware that emotion plays a huge part in buying decisions. Ignore most protestations to the contrary Good fact finding will uncover the less objective aspects of the decision-making process Make sure your proposal highlights the benefits to all involved in making the decision Support emotional aspects of the proposal with ‘facts’ For more info visit www.singlevault.co.uk

Presentation of proposal There can’t be many people left who haven’t heard the phrase “Only sell the benefits!”. Unfortunately, this group is in inverse proportion to the number who actually do so. This is laziness.

Benefits are not ubiquitous - they are specific to an individual or organisation. If they don’t like blue, having it in blue is not a benefit. If you deliver next day but they

By Mike Maguire Single Vault

spring2015

coverfeature

Logic gets you to first base; it’s how you cover the emotional side which will increase your chances of winning you the sale.

spring2015

businessconnect

19

biginterview

Company playing its part in shaping the green revolution When he embarked on his legal career, Bruce Farquhar can have had little idea that he would end up helping to shape some of the most exciting renewable energy projects in Britain.

However, that is exactly what has happened.

Having joined law firm Anderson Strathern LLP fifteen years ago and risen to become Partner in the Corporate Department, he and his team have worked on many of the leading projects in the green revolution.

It was not always so for a man whose career began with a small firm in Aberdeen and initially did primarily court work.

He said: “I eventually changed from court work to corporate and commercial work because I wanted to work proactively rather than reactively.

“In court work, the dispute has already happened and you have to unpick it but in commercial work you are there at the beginning of things. That appealed to me.“ His work with Anderson Strathern, which is a Premier Partner in Mid and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce, has seen him deal with everything from mergers to corporate finance but, increasingly, much of his time is spent dealing with energy.

Anderson Strathern has been at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution for a number of years and has a specialist team comprising more than 25 lawyers working in property, planning, environmental, corporate, financial, procurement, construction and tax.

The firm was involved in some of Scotland’s earliest windfarm projects and its lawyers have advised on more than 200 onshore wind turbine and hydroelectric projects.

They are currently advising on onshore renewable energy projects ranging from single turbine wind developments and hydro

20

businessconnect

schemes to major biomass schemes and large scale solar arrays.

Just as they were there at the birth of commercial onshore wind energy in Scotland they were involved at the start of the offshore wind and wave & tidal sectors. They advised The Crown Estate on the first (and still only) operating Scottish commercial off-shore wind project at Robin Rigg and also in the completion of Agreements for Lease for the world’s first commercial wave and tidal electricity projects in the Pentland Firth. They have subsequently been involved in all the Agreements for Lease granted by The Crown Estate to developers for offshore wind, wave and tidal projects off the coast of Scotland.

Being a Premier Partner in the Chamber means that we can reach out to local businesses and find out how best we can help them and the community.

In addition, the firm has acted for supply chain providers in the energy sector including wind turbine manufacturers and advises some of the largest estates and farms in the UK on the benefits of renewable projects.

The firm is also involved in the exploitation of landfill gas to produce electricity and is at the cutting edge of shaping the legal framework for the development of coal bed methane and hydrogen energy storage methods.

Bruce, who heads up the firm’s energy team, said: “A lot of my day is taken up with renewable energy projects. It has been really interesting because, whereas usually there is legal precedence to guide you, these are new technologies and there is nothing.

“For instance, we were involved in some of the earliest wind farm projects, the same with wave and tidal, and we recently advised on the first gas to grid project in Scotland, taking gas generated from anaerobic digestion direct to the National Grid.

“In each case, these are new technologies and new applications and we have had to develop frameworks to deal with them.

“We regard each case as different. You cannot assume that each one is the same; one day you could be representing a windfarm developer, the next opposing another one.

“Because we are a full service company, we have been able to help with all aspects of legislation involved in developing the renewables market.”

The result of overseeing the work is that

Bruce is now recognised as a ‘Leader in their field’ by leading law directory Chambers UK 2015 for Corporate/M&A (Glasgow, Edinburgh & Surrounds) and Energy & Natural Resources: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Glasgow, Edinburgh & Surrounds.

The growing involvement in renewables has also helped the firm grow and it now has 52 partners and 223 staff.

Anderson Strathern marked the start of 2015 by reporting a turnover of £21.5 million

spring2015

biginterview

Bruce Farquhar

Partner in the Corporate Department of Anderson Strathern LLP

and a 12% growth in profits in its 2013/2014 financial results.

The firm’s many specialisms were recognised with Band 1 rankings in the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 legal directories including in Administrative & Public Law Agriculture & Estates, Banking, Education, Employment, Healthcare, Human Rights, Medical Negligence and Parliamentary & Public Affairs.

Its full service credentials were also recognised with shortlistings for

spring2015

Employment Team of the Year, Litigation Team of the Year, Public Sector Team of the Year, Residential Property Team of the Year and Sara Jalicy as Rising Star of the Year at the Scott & Co Scottish Legal Awards.

In addition, the firm was re-accredited as a Gold Investor in People and became a Living Wage employer.

Bruce said: “I think that all of this sends out a strong message about the firm, including the fact that we are a Living Wage employer.

“We take Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously and being a Living Wage employer is part of that.

“Our membership of the Chamber is part of that as well and is important to us. We have an office in Haddington and regard ourselves as part of the community.

“Being a Premier Partner in the Chamber means that we can reach out to local businesses and find out how best we can help them and the community.”

businessconnect

21

advertorial

New Discovery Sport, Now within your reach The new Land Rover Discovery Sport is at the very forefront of modern safety technology, and has recently been awarded the maximum rating of five stars from Euro NCAP. Among its cutting edge safety features, the Discovery Sport boasts a pedestrian airbag and the Autonomous Emergency Braking System, which uses a digital stereo camera to detect objects that could pose a collision threat.

All varieties of the Discovery Sport have been designed in such a way that there is a high standard of protection for all passengers at any one time and there are visual and audio sensors warnings readily available if the car is deemed to be in danger or too close to a hazard.

Autonomous Emergency Braking system, in addition to our tried-and-tested Land Rover safety systems.

“All of our products are tested to stringent in-house safety standards that go significantly beyond the legal and consumer testing standards. As a family vehicle, safety was really a key motivator when designing this car. We are proud to have made no compromises on this.”

The Discovery Sport’s safety features are as important to the brand as its fuel efficiency and, at launch, will be equipped with a range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Both the all-alloy Si4 2.0-litre petrol engine and the 2.2-litre turbodiesel feature stop-start technology, high-pressure direct injection, low-friction internal components and smart regenerative charging for outstanding performance and economy.

Later in 2015, a highly efficient ED4 turbodiesel engine will join the range with CO2 emissions of just 119g/km*. Both 9-speed automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions are available, along with a choice of two- or four-wheel-drive.

“Not only does Discovery Sport mark the introduction of the first new member of our expanding Discovery family, it also brings the versatility of 5+2 seating to the compact premium SUV market,” said Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover Group Marketing Director. “Discovery Sport’s versatility is a key differentiator. It is quite simply the most accomplished vehicle in its segment.”

Discovery Sport will be produced at Land Rover’s award-winning manufacturing facility at Halewood, Liverpool. It will be in showrooms from January 22 2015, alongside the existing seven-seat Land Rover Discovery in over 170 markets worldwide.

Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes, said: “The vehicle safety team worked tirelessly to ensure that the Discovery Sport delivered levels of safety never before seen in the small SUV segment. We have introduced some cutting edge safety technologies such as the allnew pedestrian airbag and an innovative

22

businessconnect

spring2015

NEW DISCOVERY SPORT NOW WITHIN YOUR REACH NEW NEWDISCOVERY DISCOVERY SPORT SPORT NEW DISCOVERY SPORT NOW NOWWITHIN WITHINYOUR YOUR REACH REACH NOW WITHIN YOUR REACH

Meet the New Discovery Sport. Now you can own one, with manageable monthly payments. So start planning where to take it. On Off road.

Up mountains.

With innovative Meet Meet the New theroad.

New Discovery Discovery Sport.

Sport.

Now Now you can you own canits own one, one, with with Meet the New Discovery Sport.

Now you can own one, withto design, you’ll look good going there. manageable manageable monthly monthly payments. payments.

So start So start planning planning where where to manageable monthly payments.

So start planning where to take take it. Onit.road.

On road.

Off road.

Off road.

Up mountains.

Up mountains.

WithWith its innovative its innovative take it.

On road.

Off road.

Up mountains.

With its innovative The interior has look flexible 5+2going seating.

And there’s enough design, design, you’llyou’ll look goodgood going there. there. design, you’ll there. loadspace for alook day good out orgoing a week away. Opt for the SE Tech model andhas you’ll lots extras like the Power Tailgate.

The interior The interior flexible hasget flexible 5+2of seating.

5+2 seating.

And And there’s there’s enough enough The interior hasaflexible And loadspace loadspace for afor day out dayor out a5+2 week or aseating. week away.away.

Optthere’s Opt for the forenough SE theTech SE Tech a day out or a week away.

OptPower for theTailgate.

SE Tech Allloadspace this, with our finance makes family model model andcombined you’ll andfor you’ll get lots get of lots extras of extras likepackage, the likePower the Tailgate. model andeven you’llmore get lots of extrasFrom like the Power adventures accessible. only £299Tailgate. a month andwith finalwith payment – package, please seemakes details to the right.

Allplus this, Alldeposit this, combined combined our finance our finance package, makes family family All this, combined with our finance package, makes family adventures adventures eveneven moremore accessible. accessible.

FromFrom only only £299£299 a month a month adventures even more accessible. From only £299 a month plus plus deposit and final and payment please – please see details see details to the toright. the right.

Call usdeposit today to final findpayment out–more. plus deposit and final payment – please see details to the right.

CallCall us today us today to find to find out out more. more.

Call us today to find out more.

Pentland Land Rover

Newbridge, Edinburgh EH28 8TH Pentland Pentland Land Land Rover Rover Pentland Tel: 0131 603 Land 4641 Rover

New Discovery Sport SE Tech Representative example* New Discovery Discovery Sport Sport SE Tech SE Tech OnNew the Road Price New Discovery Sport SE Tech Representative Representative example* example* Customer Deposit Representative example* On the On Road the Road PricePrice

£32,395.00 £9,950.00 £32,395.00 £32,395.00 Total Amount of Credit £22,445.00 On the Road Price £32,395.00 Customer Customer Deposit £9,950.00 Purchase FeeDeposit (included in final payment) £9,950.00 £10.00 Customer Deposit £9,950.00 Total Amount Amount of Credit of Credit £22,445.00 £22,445.00 36Total Monthly Payments £299.00 Total Amount of Credit £22,445.00 Purchase Purchase Fee Fee (included (included in final in final payment) payment) £10.00 £10.00 Optional Final Payment £15,656.00 Purchase Fee (included in final payment) £10.00 36Total Monthly 36 Monthly Payments Payments £299.00 £299.00 Amount Payable £36,370.00 36 Monthly Payments £299.00 Optional Optional Final Payment Payment £15,656.00 Duration of Final Agreement 37£15,656.00 Months Optional Final Payment £15,656.00 Total Total Amount Amount Payable Payable £36,370.00 £36,370.00 Representative APR 6.9% APR Total Amount Payable £36,370.00 Duration Duration of Agreement of Agreement 37 Months 376.72% Months Interest Rate (Fixed) % Duration of Agreement 37 Months Representative Representative APRAPR 6.9%6.9% APRAPR Representative APR is a New Discovery Sport 6.9%SE APR The model pictured Interest Interest Rateoptional Rate (Fixed) (Fixed) % % of metallic paint (£600) 6.72% 6.72% Tech with Interest Rate (Fixed) extra % 6.72% at The an On the Road £34,495.

The model model pictured pictured isPrice a New is of a New Discovery Discovery Sport Sport SE SE The model pictured is a New Discovery Sport SE Tech Tech with with optional optional extra extra of metallic of metallic paint paint (£600) (£600) Tech with optional extra of metallic paint (£600) atatanan atOn an On the Road Price Price of of £34,495.

Onthe theRoad Road Price of£34,495. £34,495.

Newbridge, Newbridge, Edinburgh Edinburgh EH28 EH28 8TH8TH 8TH Newbridge, Edinburgh EH28

pentlandlandrover.co.uk Tel: Tel: 0131 0131 603603 603 4641 4641 Tel: 0131 4641

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the New Discovery Sport range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 38.2 (7.4) – 40.4 (7.0), Extra Urban 49.6

pentlandlandrover.co.uk pentlandlandrover.co.uk pentlandlandrover.co.uk (5.7) – 50.4 (5.6), Combined 44.8 (6.3) – 46.3 (6.1). CO2 emissions 166 – 162 g/km.

The figures provided 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. Representative 6.9% APR available on New Land Rover Discovery Sport models registered between 1st January and 31st March 2015 at participating dealers only. *We may receive commission or other benefits for introducing you Official Official Fuel Fuel Consumption Consumption Figures Figures forPersonal the forthe New theNew New Discovery Discovery Sport Sport range inofin mpg in mpg (l/100km): (l/100km): Urban Urban 38.2 38.2 (7.4) (7.4) ––40.4 – 40.4 (7.0), Extra Extra Urban 49.6 49.6 Official Fuel Consumption Figures for Discovery Sport (l/100km): Urban 38.2 (7.4) 40.4 (7.0), Extra Urban to Land Rover Financial Services.

With Land Rover Freedom Contract Purchase you have the option atrange therange end thempg agreement to: (1) Subject to the vehicle being in good condition, return(7.0), the vehicle and notUrban pay the Final Payment. If the vehicle is in good condition and has not exceeded the allowed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. If the vehicle has exceeded the allowed mileage a charge for excess mileage will apply - in this example 14p (5.7) (5.7) – 50.4 – 50.4 50.4 (5.6), (5.6), Combined Combined 44.8and 44.8 (6.3) –mile 46.3 46.3 (6.1).

(6.1).

CO CO –166 162 –g/km.

162 g/km.

Combined 44.8 –for–46.3 (6.1).

CO 166 – 162 g/km.

2 emissions 2 emissions 2 emissions per (5.7) mile for – any excess(5.6), mileage up to 4,999 miles 28p (6.3) per(6.3) any excess mileage exceeding 4,999166 miles (2) pay the Final Payment to own the vehicle or (3) part exchange the vehicle subject to settlement of your existing

The finance figures Theagreement; provided figuresprovided provided arenew as afinance are result aagreements result official manufacturer’s official manufacturer’s in accordance tests in accordance withexample EU legislation.

EUbased legislation.

Aupon vehicle’s A annual vehicle’s actual fuel actual consumption fuel consumption may differ may from differ from achieved that achieved in in such tests intests such and tests these and theseare figures for are comparative purposes purposes The figures are asasa of result ofof official tests in accordance withwith EU is legislation.

A vehicle’s actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved such and these figures are forcomparative comparative are manufacturer’s subject totests status.

Representative an mileage of 10,000 miles.

Finance is that subject to status and only available tofigures applicants aged 18for and over resident in only.Mainland Representative only.Representative Representative APR 6.9% available APR available on New on Rover Land Discovery Rover Discovery Sport models Sport registered models registered between between 1st January 1st and January 31st and March 31st March at participating 2015 at participating dealers only. dealers *We only. may *We receive may commission receive commission ororother benefits other benefits for for introducing you only.

6.9% APR available onLand New Land Rover Discovery Sport models registered between 1stFinancial January and 31st March 2015 atHouse, participating dealers only. *We may receive commission otheror benefits for introducing introducing you UK and6.9% N.Ireland.

This finance offer isNew available from Black Horse Limited trading as Land Rover Services, St2015 William Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. to Land to Rover toLand Land Financial RoverFinancial Financial Services.

Services.

With Land With Rover Land Freedom Rover Freedom Personal Personal Contract Contract Purchase Purchase you have thehave option theatoption the atend of thethe end agreement ofagreement the agreement to: to: (1) Subject (1) to Subject thethe vehicle to thebeing vehicle inin being good incondition, good condition, return return vehicle theand vehicle not and not Final pay the Final Rover Services.

With Land Rover Freedom Personal Contract Purchase you you have the option at end the of the (1)to: Subject to vehicle being goodcondition, returnthe the vehicle and not pay pay the Payment.

Payment.

If the vehicle thevehicle isvehicle in good ingood good condition and has not and exceeded has exceeded the allowed allowed mileage mileage you will you nothing have nothing further to further pay.

Ifto the pay. vehicle Ifvehicle thehas vehicle exceeded has exceeded thethe allowed the allowed mileage mileage a charge afor charge formileage excess will will -- in apply this - in this example 14p Payment.

IfIfthe isisincondition condition and has notnot exceeded thethe allowed mileage youhave will will have nothing further to pay.

If the has exceeded allowed mileage a charge forexcess excess mileagemileage willapply apply in this example example 14p upup toto 4,999 miles and 28p perper mile forexcess anyany excess mileage exceeding 4,999 miles (2) pay Payment to own vehicle or part thevehicle vehicle subjectto tosettlement settlement of your your existing per mileper per formile mile any for excess forany anyexcess mileage excessmileage mileage up to 4,999 miles 4,999 and miles 28p and per 28p mile for mile any for mileage excess mileage exceeding exceeding 4,999 miles 4,999 (2)miles pay the (2) the Final payFinal the Payment Final Payment to own the tothe own vehicle theor vehicle (3)(3) part or exchange (3)exchange part exchange the thesubject vehicle subject to settlement of of your existing new areare subject to to status.

Representative example is based upon an annual mileage of 10,000 miles.

Finance is subject to status and only available applicants aged18 18aged and over over in finance finance agreement; financeagreement; agreement; new finance newfinance agreements financeagreements agreements are subject to subject status.

Representative status.

Representative example example is based isupon based an upon annual anmileage annual mileage of 10,000 ofmiles.

10,000 Finance miles.

Finance is subject is to subject status toand status only and available only available totoapplicants to applicants aged and 18 and resident over resident in Mainland This is available from Black Horse Limited trading as Land Rover Financial Services, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. Mainland Mainland UK and UK N.Ireland.

UKand andN.Ireland.

N.Ireland.

This finance Thisfinance offer finance isoffer available offer is available from Black from Horse Black Limited Horse trading Limited as trading Land Rover as Land Financial Rover Financial Services, Services, St William St House, William Tresillian House, Tresillian Terrace, Terrace, Cardiff CF10 Cardiff 5BH. CF10 5BH.

membersnews

Mr Atsuhiro Yabu opens £1.1 million Skills Centre President of Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems Europe Ltd., Mr Atsuhiro Yabu has opened the new £1.1 million Skills Centre, for engineering and construction trades, at West Lothian College.

The Skills Centre is also home to painting and decorating, and carpentry trades where learners will enjoy the space and the experience of working in a busy multidisciplinary working environment.

An Engineering graduate of Osaka University, Mr Yabu has worked for Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for over 30 years. This is his second assignment to Livingston as he was posted to West Lothian between 1991 and 1995.

President of Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems Europe Ltd., Mr Atsuhiro Yabu, said: ““It is a great honour to open this impressive new Skills Centre.

Mitsubishi Electric, looks forward to continuing our close links with West Lothian College, in our joint quest to develop and improve engineering skills.”

Each year around 200 students will use the Skills Centre workshop which has been designed to allow learners to use the same machines they will encounter in industry in a realistic work environment.

Engineering students can complete their entire learning journey from the basic use of hand tools, manually operated lathes, drills and mills, to advanced Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machines.

It is expected that industrial training courses, especially training linked to the CNC machines such as CAD-CAM, will be developed in the future.

Principal and Chief Executive of West Lothian College, Mhairi Harrington, commented: “We are delighted to be unveiling the new and improved skills centre.

We are confident that the new facilities will greatly benefit our students and the surrounding community. The facilities have been designed to meet the demands of our rapidly growing student base, providing them with the relevant skills desired by employers all over the UK.”

students with the best possible education in the most innovative and up-to-date facilities.

The new Skills Centre is designed to equip our students with the skills and knowledge required to give them the upper hand when they graduate.”

The Skills Centre is a 325sqm extension comprising a multi-purpose workshop plus three re-modelled teaching spaces and integrated staff workroom with an extended canopy to allow motor vehicle students to work outside.

West Lothian College has range of construction, motor vehicle and engineering programmes available for more information and details of how to enrol visit: www.west-lothian.ac.uk/courses

Lindsay Seywright, Assistant Principal added: “West Lothian College, strives to provide our

Mr LinkedIn at Capital Document Solution Mark Harvie, area sales director at Capital, said: “We’d like to thank Miles for delivering an excellent presentation. It proved to be a tremendous event and I’m sure everyone who attended gained a great deal, especially in terms of how they can use the lessons learned today to open more doors.

“We were overwhelmed by the level of interest we received from clients and contacts in the Edinburgh business community. Following the success of this event we are looking to hold similar informative seminars in future and would definitely consider inviting Miles back.”

Capital gathered extensive feedback from the audience in terms of having them score the event, venue, presentation and refreshments – with Capital’s superb showroom scoring particularly highly.

More than 70 organisations attended an informative LinkedIn networking event in Edinburgh organised by Capital Document Solutions. The seminar, held at Capital’s McDonald Road headquarters, attracted 79 professionals who benefitted from expert advice courtesy of ‘Mr LinkedIn’ Miles Duncan.

Delegates learned how to make the most of the online professional networking platform and put Miles’ advice into practice in order to win new business and secure more referrals, before enjoying an informal networking session.

24

businessconnect

Established in 1979, Capital provides a range of office document and print solutions including copiers, printers, scanners and software with comprehensive national maintenance and training support.

The company specialises in advising public and private sector organisations on how to rationalise their mixed fleet of copiers, printers, scanners and faxes as well as control and reduce copy/print volumes through significant improvements in document processes.

Capital Document Solutions has 205 staff at operations in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Shetland. For further information visit www.capital-solutions.co.uk

spring2015

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

Would you like to help your staff achieve healthy goals?

We’ll take care of it!

The Health Promotion Scheme is an exciting programme aimed at businesses across central Scotland from Scotland’s Health Charity, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS).

This innovative scheme delivers blood pressure screenings with individual lifestyle assessments and a choice of interactive activities from our team of Health Promotion Specialists.

In Scotland: n n n n

1 in 10 people is living with chest, heart or stroke illness 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure Every 45 minutes someone has a stroke Every 55 minutes someone has a heart attack

What are the benefits?

Participation in the scheme can help meet staff health and corporate social responsibility goals for your business.

Research shows that a workplace Health Promotion Scheme can: n n n n

Reduce employee absenteeism by an average of 30-40% Improve work performance by 10% Increase employee job satisfaction Achieve a positive return on investment – at least £3 for every £1 invested

What’s on offer?

Blood pressure screening and lifestyle assessments As well as checking blood pressure levels for staff, our Health Promotion Specialists will offer individual lifestyle assessments to raise awareness of risk factors for chest, heart and stroke illness and provide advice on how to reduce these by making healthier lifestyle choices.

Interactive workshops We have fun and engaging sessions to equip staff with important healthy lifestyle messages.

Support for staff-run health promotion activities Further resources can be provided to support your staff to run their own regular health and wellbeing groups.

I enjoyed the fact that I could get a blood pressure check without making an appointment and waiting at my GP outside of work hours Workshop Attendee

How you can get involved?

In return for this service, you can work in partnership with us to raise funds to provide services which support people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions across Scotland. Ideas include: n Choosing CHSS as your ‘Charity of the Year’ n Organising fundraising events in your workplace n Entering CHSS fundraising events - individually or as corporate teams n Promoting payroll giving n Encouraging staff to volunteer for us

To find out more visit www.chss.org.uk/health-promotion or call George Grierson or Laura Hastings on 0131 225 6963

businessnews

Career Ready is coming to Midlothian One of Midlothian Council’s top priorities is to make sure as many of our school leavers go on to what is known as a ‘positive destination’ for example, further education, a job, training or volunteering.

The percentage of young people in Midlothian leaving school and going on to a positive destination such as further education or a job is up almost 5% on last year. The figures, collated by the national skills body, Skills Development Scotland, demonstrate that 93.9% of school leavers in Midlothian found a job, enrolled in college or training or secured another positive destination such as volunteering.

This compares with 89.2% last year. The latest figures are also 1.6% higher than the national average. Only six other councils have higher percentages.

Since the economic downturn of 2008/9, Midlothian’s positive destinations figures have increased by 15.6%, the biggest improvement of any council area in Scotland.

To further improve this, Midlothian Council has signed up to a prestigious national career initiative which will offer S5 and S6 pupils the chance to learn and experience more about the world of work with local and national employers – while they complete their final years at school.

Career Academies UK (soon to be known as Career Ready) is a businessled charity which brings together employers and schools in an effort to transform the career opportunities and life chances of young people across the UK. In Scotland, 97% of Career Academy students’ progress to university, college or directly into employment or work based learning such as apprenticeships or school leaver programmes.

Initially two Midlothian secondary schools will take part in year one, with the aim being that the remaining schools join over the coming years. Working alongside Career Academies in Edinburgh, Career Academy students in Midlothian will benefit from a two-year programme to raise

26

businessconnect

their aspirations and to support them in making career choices through mentoring, motivational lectures, workshops and a four week paid internship with participating organisations during the school summer holidays.

A total of 16 pupils from Lasswade High School and St Davids’ RC High School will be the first group of young participants in the programme.

Anne Wexelstein, Director for Career Academies in Scotland, said “Career Academies creates positive routes for young people when they leave school either to enter the workplace or higher education.

Through this programme pupils from Midlothian will have the support from some first class employers. None of what we do is possible without employer support, which has as many benefits to them as the students.”

spring2015

| PLAN | CREATE | DEVELOP | DELIVER |

A truly unique setting for your next event Meetings and training venue • Budget group accommodation Private dining • Private tours • Small weddings Tel: 0131 663 1921 enquiries@newbattleabbey.com www.newbattleabbey.com

Clean, sharp, interesting... and cost effective!

A first impression is a lasting impression and in today’s fast moving world, you do not get a second chance.

Professional design is more than just making an idea look good. A series of creative solutions will help to convey your vision and values with the highest level of quality.

Business owners have enough on their plate, so the last thing that they need is another problem to solve.

Give your business Universal Appeal and the level of professionalism it deserves.

Alan Stewart (Director) +44 (0) 7729 911858 info@universal-appeal.com www.universal-appeal.com @UAGraphicDesign facebook.com/UAGraphicDesign @UAGraphicDesign linkedin.com/company/universal-appeal-limited

spring2015

businessconnect

27

premierpartner

New Nutrition & Food Science degree on the menu at QMU Queen Margaret University (QMU), Musselburgh, East Lothian, has launched a new degree in nutrition and food science, as part of the institution’s Food & Drink Strategy.

QMU’s Food & Drink Strategy has been developed through extensive consultation with the food and drink sector to support the commercial application of nutritional science.

The BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Food Science is the latest boost to QMU’s ongoing commitment to enhancing Scotland’s position as a leader in food and drink innovation in Europe and supporting access to the global market for healthy and functional food.

The new degree focuses on human nutrition and food science with an emphasis on health and the prevention of dietary related disease.

Nutrition is becoming more important to the food industry, with consumers demanding more information about the content of the products they choose to eat. QMU’s food scientists are involved in the development of new food products and food production processes, as well as microbiological and chemical testing.

The aim of the new programme is to produce graduates who have the transferable knowledge, skills and attributes to add value to the UK and global food industry. The food industry is the single largest manufacturing industry in the UK, employing around 500,000 people. Scotland has 12,000 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food and drink sector which are seeking to exploit the growing market for healthy food and drink products, estimated to be worth £20bn in the UK and more than £300bn globally.

Michael Clapham, Senior Lecturer Public Health Nutrition at QMU, said: “The new nutrition and food science degree has been designed to put health and the prevention of dietary related disease at the heart of our students’ learning experience.

The programme also supports the skills investment plan for the food and drink sector, whilst up-skilling and promoting the enhanced employability of our graduates.

28

businessconnect

“The degree is also helping to reinforce QMU’s reputation as Scotland’s leading academic centre for food development and innovation. In order to meet the future demands of the food and drink industry, QMU is continuing to develop a competitive and sustainable infrastructure, which underpins knowledge exchange in nutritional science.”

The BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Food Science provides additional depth and a specific industry focus to the existing portfolio of programmes currently taught

by QMU’s specialists in Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences. The dynamic and research-active team offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the fields of diet, human biology and health.

The University’s team has particular expertise in public health, knowledge exchange and clinical nutrition and metabolism.

time when QMU is further strengthening its specialism in food and drink. In December 2014, we launched the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation, which is supporting Scottish food and drink businesses to innovate, develop new healthy products and processes, and grow their businesses.

“The creation of this new course also pays tribute to QMU’s history in food and nutrition. In 1875, the institution was established to help address the dietary issues of the urban poor, confirming our commitment to improving quality of life.”

For more information visit: www.qmu.ac.uk or email Admissions at Queen Margaret University E: admissions@qmu.ac.uk

Dr Fiona Coutts, Dean of Health Sciences at Queen Margaret University, said: “The development of this course comes at a

spring2015

Business Connect Ad v2.pdf 22/10/2014 13:54:03

connectconnect business

business

AUTUMN2014

ZINE INESS MAGA MMERCE BUS BERS OF CO THIAN CHAM ND WEST LO MID, EAST A

ISSUE 5

WINTER2014

ISSUE 6

MID, EAST A ND WEST LO THIAN CHAM BERS OF CO MMERCE BUS INESS MAGA ZINE

An Awards Night to Remember

Offering a quality support service to families with children aged 0-10

Services to Parents (Dads and Mums)/Carers/Grandparents include: Peer Support, Healthy Living Support, Volunteering Opportunities, Dynamic Dads, Grandparents & Toddlers, Counselling/Therapeutic Support, Play therapy and our new A Good Start Programme.

C

Innovative students ate contribute to clim change targets features

chamber news

business news

views

interviews

M

Y

chamber news

CM features

business news

views

interviews

You don’t have to be a family in need to get involved with MSS and chances are you already know someone who has had help or been involved with us.

We NEED You! – You can help MSS by:

MY

CY

CMY

Advertise your business in Business Connect

K

• Becoming a local hero and have a fundraiser for MSS. • Getting your business/group to pick MSS as your charity of the year.

• Make donations. It’s simple and really rewarding. www.justgiving.com/midlothiansurestart • Got a spare day? Why not donate your time. We are always looking for new people to join our team of volunteers.

Business Connect is a joint Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian Chambers of Commerce publication.

Contact John Neilson on t: 0845 884 2343 e: johnneilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

New Landlords receive

£100 cashback when signing up to our full property management service.

Get in touch today for more information.

Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.wesloproperty.co.uk for more information.

facebook.com/MidSureStart CALL US ON: 0131

twitter.com/MidSureStart

654 0489 | www.MidlothianSureStart.org.uk

We offer: l Full property management l Let only l Maintenance l Landlord safety certificates l Evening & weekend viewings l Excellent customer service l No upfront fees

01506 639 168 propertymanagement@weslohm.co.uk

Weslo Property Management and Letting

spring2015

www.wesloproperty.co.uk

@wesloletting

businessconnect

29

newmembers

West Lothian Challenge Fencing Alex Stewart-Clark 07710 485264 alex@challengefencing.com www.challengefencing.com

Hot tin Roof Sarah Lee 0131 2253875 sarah@hottinroof.co.uk www.hottinroof.co.uk

Enviroliance Alan Conner 01506 592300 alan.conner@enviroliance.com www.enviroliance.com

Macdonald Mcewan Ken Grinly 01506 841 631 kgrinly@macdonaldmcewan.co.uk www.macdonaldmcewan.co.uk

Five Sisters Zoo Lesley Coupar 01506 870000 lesley@fivesisterszoo.co.uk www.fivesisterszoo.co.uk

Marriott Dalmahoy Craig Irving 0131 3358075 craig.irving@marriotthotels.com www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/edigsdalmahoy-marriott-hotel-and-country-club/

FleetTrack-Web Ltd Richard Thomson 07967 727836 richard@fleettrackweb.com www.fleettrackweb.com Francesca Psychic Seonaid McDonald seonaid-mcdonald@hotmail.co.uk GQ Business Solutions Ltd Gerald Quemeneur 07889 688813 gerald@gqbs.co.uk www.gqbs.co.uk Gregory Accounting Services Limited Michelle Gregory 01506 630 130 michelle@gregoryaccounting.co.uk www.Gregoryaccounting.co.uk

Martin & Co Bathgate Rhoddy Mackenzie 01506 676306 rhoddy.mackenzie@martinco.com Oil States Industry Ltd Tracey Malloy 01506 633233 tracey.malloy@oilstates.com www.oilstates.com

Street League Sarah Crossley sarah.crossley@streetleague.co.uk www.streetleague.co.uk Uber Recruit Linda Showler Frip 01506 324916 info@uber-recruit.com www.uber-recruit.com Viro Energy Terry Doherty 01506 637322 terry@viroenergy.co.uk www.viroenergy.co.uk Vitality Health Rewards Martin Peacock 0800 881 5666 info@health-rewards.co.uk www.health-rewards.co.uk West Lothian Digital Craig Bishop 01506 794355 enquiries@westlothiandigital.co.uk www.westlothiandigital.co.uk

Shoosmiths Steven McDonald 03700 868135 steven.mcdonald@shoosmiths.co.uk www.shoosmiths.co.uk

connect business

Welcoming all our new Members to Mid, East and West Lothian Chamber of Commerce

30

businessconnect

spring2015

newmembers

Midlothian and East Lothian Airco Developments Ltd Audrey Thorburn / John Crawford 0131 660 9555 info@aircoltd.co.uk www.aircoltd.co.uk ventilation manufacturer and installer commercial kitchen

Limelight Careers Caroline McFarlane 0131 516 9111 caroline@limelightcareers.co.uk www.limelightcareers.co.uk Apprenticeship and Employability programmes

Best Western King’s Manor Hotel Les Solley 0131 669 0444 les.solley@kingsmanor.com www.kingsmanor.com Hotel, & conference venue with leisure centre

Pentland Format Office Supplies Ashley Gairn 0131 448 2422 sales@pentlandformat.co.uk, www.pentlandformat.co.uk General office supplies, promotional goods, printers and workwear

Carruthers, Blackwood and Hamlin Dana Hamlin 0131 335 3533 / 07825 393964 ingliston_agency@nfumutual.co.uk www.nfumutual.co.uk Insurance, investments, pensions & risk management

Pigeon Penguin Website Design Phil Bowen 07798 882506 phil@bowenp.com www.pigeonpenguin.com Website designer

Learning through Eurythmy Saraphir Qaa-Rishi 01875 830330/07513 541003 saraphirq@gmail.com www.learningthrougheurythmy.com Staff training/development workshops for business and organisations

spring2015

Trilean Healthy Food Imports Ltd Vassia Koroniu 01368 238 243 info@trileanhealthyfoods.com www.trileanhealthyfoods.com Gluten free and no added sugar food

Dates for your diary Chamber Business Club We are delighted to bring you a series of monthly business breakfasts, each addressing a topical business issue or a day to day issue affecting SMEs followed by some lively discussion. Business Club dates: Tuesday 31st March 2015, Tuesday 28th April 2015 and Tuesday 26th May 2015 (Time: 8am – 10am)

Members Visit Members Visits are our popular, informal gatherings, when we visit member premises and learn more about each other’s businesses whilst networking over a drinks and canapés. The next Members Visit events will be held on Thursday 23rd April 2015 and Thursday 18th June 2015 (Time: 4pm – 6pm)

Joint Chambers Networking Lunch This is an exciting opportunity to meet with fellow members from the Mid & East Lothian and West Lothian Chambers of Commerce. Over a tasty 2 course lunch you will have the opportunity to meet business owners and decision makers from throughout the Lothians introducing your company to even more business and sales opportunities. The next lunches will be held on 28th May 2015 and 16th September 2015 (12 noon – 2pm).

businessconnect

31

businessnews

Ashwood Scotland smashes £70m contract barrier Ashwood Scotland is celebrating 15-years in business shortly after the completion of its 313rdhproject. It takes the total contracts value of completed projects through the £70m barrier.

Edinburgh’s Panmure House. The grade-A listed building in the city’s Canongate area dates back to 1691.

The current phase of the works, which started last July, involves the repairing and re-slating of the 17th century roof, conservation of the exterior stonework and replacement of the timber sash and casement windows.

The Bathgate-based business was founded in 1999 and has since gone onto grow to a staff 24-strong and establish itself as a wellregarded building contractor, with a turnover for the year to 2014 of £4-5m.

“We are delighted to be able to bring our wealth of experience to such a fantastic project. We are very proud to be given the opportunity to rejuvenate such a prestigious, historical building for its unique 21st century purpose,” said Archie.

The construction sector in Scotland has been hit hard by the recent recession with a number of businesses failing due to the economic downturn. Ashwood Scotland’s Managing Director, Archie Meikle, says the company had to “change tack” in 2008 to emerge out the other end in a stronger position.

A recent survey of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) by Bibby Financial services indicated that two-thirds of those surveyed said they expected to invest in growing their business in the current quarter.

“Certainly the last five years has seen a contraction within the construction sector which has been quite severe,” he said.

“We managed to retain all the staff that we had pre-credit crunch and didn’t have to make any redundancies, which we’re quite proud of.”

the local authorities and public sector because we identified that would be where the main level of expenditure would come from.”

“When we saw there was going to be a downturn we went through an intense period of re-marketing in terms of identifying where our workload came from. We targeted

To mark Ashwood’s fifteenth year in business it is fitting that the company has been involved in one of its most challenging jobs to date – the £2-4m restoration of

It’s a trend that Archie Meikle has spotted and the company is now preparing to capitalise on the renewed confidence in the market.

He said: “We are now at a stage as we pick up this new volume of work we’re hoping to increase our compliment of staff. Our staff turnover is virtually nil and many of our staff have been with us a long time.”

Give your business a sporting chance Looking around at your employees or colleagues you might not realise that you have have a team of potential athletes or that you are a running a sports club. If the buck ultimately stops with you though, you should probably think of yourself as the manager of such a club – and here’s why.

different and a place where they feel proud to work. You want people to feel as though they are pulling on their club shirt when they step through your doors.

Sport is about a winning mindset

Like any sports team, there will be a number of coaches in an organisation. Line managers should fulfil this role, but they must be adequately prepared and supported.

According to recent research from Investors in People, 80% of staff cite their line manager as the source of their engagement or disengagement - but this should not be seen as a blame game!

Games are played to be won, and they are won on the strength of the team - even in ‘individual’ sports. This is where your company ‘culture’ or ‘ethos’ comes in: it is the glue that binds you together as a team and the fuel that drives performance, giving each one of you the will to win as individuals working within a team.

People need a vision of what success looks like and to be able to understand what it is about the organisation that makes it

32

businessconnect

Your line managers can be inspiring coaches

need to succeed. Sometimes they are in a new role too and are simply expected to make the leap from worker to leader.

By contrast, providing ongoing support and encouragement at all stages can make people become super-performing managers – and just as importantly show them the techniques that will bring this level of performance out in others too. Now that is a winning combination for any business!

To find out more contact: Alison Melville on 01324 628676 or at hr@greigmelvillehr. co.uk; @HrGreig; uk.linkedin.com/in/ alisonmelville/

All too often, as an HR specialist, I see people who have been placed in managerial positions where they are required to performance-manage other staff but without the necessary support that they themselves

spring2015

advertorial

New premises and new ideas for local engineering company

West Lothian business, Robbie Fluid Engineering Ltd, moved recently to new premises in Bathgate and have been looking at new ideas and technologies to help grow their business.

RFE (Robbie Fluid Engineering Ltd) have started life at their new facility with a number of new projects which are unusual in the field of Fluid Engineering. The aim of the business is, first of all, taking care of fluid related problems in fluid power circuits. Where appropriate, they bring technology and expertise within easy reach of everybody involved in business, regardless of whether they run a small vehicle recovery business, a large industrial facility or are restoring a classic motor bike.

As normally seen by the public, fluid

spring2015

power is simply another form of power like electricity, except pipe and high pressure hose conducts gas or liquids throughout a circuit instead of electricity being conducted along a cable. Pressures of several hundred atmospheres (up to 6000 pounds per square inch) are not uncommon to assist with lifting or moving heavy equipment. Today lorry mounted cranes are a common sight on construction sites and typically the circuits on such machinery are linked using pipe work and high pressure hose with an internal diameter of between 5mm and 50mm depending on the size and power of a machine. Robbie Fluid Engineering carry out work on machines of many sizes, from ships to portable hand tools.

Fluid engineering is also the application of the physics of fluids to meet with other and sometimes unusual needs. One project recently worked on, which could lead to future production opportunities, requires the control of a high pressure gas in a circuit.

The whole machine could fit into a shoe box, but the size of the components and the connections are extremely challenging.

However Robbie Fluid Engineering have been successful in building and testing two

units and hope to be building more in the near future. Conduit bores of as little as 0.7mm in diameter were involved, as small as an electronic circuit!

A field of application which is becoming more and more popular is water conservation. In recent times, the cost and sometimes scarcity supplies mean that users have to be creative in their use of water. Robbie Fluid Engineering having been helping an international company to find new ways of achieving dust suppression using aerosol technology and applying it to water. Given a consumption which could be in excess of 20 tons of water a day on over 80 sites across the country, water can be an expensive commodity.

Robbie Fluid Engineering have reduced water consumption by 90% while achieving an improvement in performance of dust suppression. That is equivalent to a saving of around 2000 tons of water per day during the summer months!

Both of these applications could lead to ongoing orders for Robbie Fluid Engineering who have experienced good growth for several years now. www.fluid-engineering.co.uk

businessconnect

33

membercloseup

MEMBER CLOSE-UP

Graham Reid

Company Name Robert Templeton & Co Name: Graham Reid FCII Position: Broker Manager Website: www.roberttempleton.co.uk

What are the main activities of the business?

We are general insurance brokers dealing with all classes of commercial and personal insurance.

Are you enjoying what you do everyday?

I’m very lucky because I enjoy my work and am part of a great team. Of course there is the odd hiccup now and again but thankfully, there are far more positives than negatives.

As a business person, describe your three main qualities?

Honesty, reliability and perseverance

What is your favourite way to unwind?

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

I play mandolin, guitar and bass (not at the same time) in a bluegrass/country band.

In my mid 40’s and working full time, I managed to complete a 2 year course with Napier University and gained an Honours degree in Financial Services. I also was elected as a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

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

Maintain the good reputation of the company built up by Bob Templeton over the last 28 years. Also keep abreast of new technology and how it impacts on the way we trade with our clients and insurers.

If you could turn the clock back, what would you have changed about your business career?

I started work straight from school in 1976. It would have been a lot easier going on to 3rd level education then rather than 25 years later.

If you could choose anyone, who would be your fantasy dinner party guests and why?

With the emphasis on ‘fantasy’: Oscar Wilde, Mae West and Groucho Marx. Jimi Hendrix and Ella Fitzgerald to play/sing for their supper.

What advice would you give to others who trying to be successful in business?

Work hard and be a good listener – remember we are given 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.

Where do you see yourself in 10-years?

I’m fit and healthy. As long as I stay that way, I’ll never want to retire.

Work hard and be a good listener – remember we are given 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.

34

businessconnect

spring2015

NEW LANDLORDS WANTED

LET IT FAST OR LET IT FREE!! (terms & conditions apply)

Martin & Co’s Letting Agency Bathgate have been servicing the rapidly growing residential lettings market since opening our doors in August 2006, and we have built up our reputation as one of the leading property management agents in West Lothian by providing an unrivalled service to landlords and tenants alike.

We have a number of flats and houses to rent throughout West Lothian, Lanarkshire and Falkirk, whether it’s an unfurnished studio flat to a luxury fully-furnished apartment, we’d be more than happy to help you find the perfect property.

We are located at an excellent location within Bathgate town centre opposite Bank of Scotland in Hopetoun Street, easy to find and we’re only a few minutes drive from the new Train Station now linking both GLASGOW and EDINBURGH for easy commute to Scotland’s largest cities.

Martin & Co Bathgate is an award winning agency receiving the Bronze Award for Scotland in 2010 and Short Listed in 2012 (ESTAS AWARDS).

Martin & Co Bathgate are members of UKALA - The UK Association of Letting Agents, SAL - Scottish Association of Landlords, The Property Ombudsman, LAS - Landlord Accreditation Scotland and offer our Landlords Client Money Protection.

n

Independently owned family run business with the back up and support of a national company

n n

Friendly and professional service Local knowledge of property market

Martin & Co Bathgate (Livingston & Falkirk), 49a Hopetoun Street, Bathgate, EH48 4PB t: 01506 676306

e: Bathgate@martinco.com

www.martinco.com

Scotland’s future is prepared for work

SQA’s Vocational Qualifications enable learners to develop their knowledge and skills for the world of work.

Our qualifications are developed with industry experts ensuring learners have the kind of skills employers need.

SQA — providing skills for Scotland.

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