Business Connect 11

connect business

MID, EAST AND WEST LOTHIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Delivering world class connectivity to the Lothians

chamber news features business news views interviews

SPRING2016 ISSUE 11

Hilcroft Hotel offers comfort, convenience and character Whether you are getting married or arranging a private function, we want you to relax in the knowledge that our friendly and professional team have taken great care over even that smallest detail. The Hotel has two banqueting rooms in addition to its modern 108 Bar & Restaurant. The Strathearn Suite can accommodate up to 250 guests and the Loch Maree Suite up to 80 guests.

The Strathearn Suite

The Glen Garry Suite

The Loch Maree Suite

This is our largest suite accommodating up to 190 persons for a formal meal. The Strathearn has a large dance floor and an elegant decor.

Adjoining the main suite and used for an initial reception room for your guests. The Glenk Garry is a traditionally decorated, bright and airy room, pleasing to all.

This is our most recent suite and can accommodate from 25 to 70 people comfortably. A modern decor adorns this suite with its own smaller dance floor, private bar and WCs

Best Western

Hilcroft Hotel east Main street, Whitburn,West lothian, eH47 oJU

tel. 01501 740818 • www.hilcrofthotel.com

2016/2017 Wedding packages Winter Wedding January, February, March

2016 £3295

2017 £3595

Wedding package 2016 £4295 2017 £4595 all inclusive package 2016 £7295 2017 £7795 All prices inclusive of VAT All our packages are for 75 day guests for a 3 course 2 choice menu with drinks package, and a buffet for 150 guests altogether in the evening.

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The World in Infrared

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

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

More than just Networking

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 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.

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New Family Business degrees to be launched at QMU

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Chief Executive: Linda Scott

SPRING2016

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Perils of postponing succession planning

Chief Executive: George Archibald

ISSUE 11

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Station director looks to the future

Delivering world class connectivity to the Lothians

Contents

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Big Interview

Chamber News

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Chamber News

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Premier Partners

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Members News

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Members News

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Ask the expert

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Members News

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Chamber Feature

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Members News

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Members News

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Premier Partners

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New Members

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Members News

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Members Close Up

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MARKETING

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Managing your business waste-line Benefits of a free energy check and water audit

Weighing up how much energy and water your business is using does wonders for your waste and is key to battling any future price bulges.

The energy check and water audit are available free for one site and one company only, and will show you how your premises are performing against national averages.

Whether your business premises are rated below the national average for energy efficiency or you are doing well and consuming less energy than the average, there are always ways to improve.

With the right data you can make informed choices about controlling your energy use in ways that are realistic for your business.

Waste watchers gain £s No one gets healthy without a selfassessment first. You get on the scales, measure your waistline and work out the calories you have to burn to get trim. It’s the same with energy and water savings. Many businesses want to lose waste and gain £s – they just haven’t stepped on the scales yet.

In research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) last year, 86% of small firms could see the direct benefits of energy efficiency and 78% believed it was important for saving money. What they lacked was the information required to be more energy efficient – data that starts with energy health measurements and weigh-ins.

Take the guess-work out of waste loss A Chamber Energy Solutions Utility Health Check empowers businesses to be less

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The energy check and water audit will: n Show you where savings can be made n Spur your business to make more n Drive home the importance of energy savings

wasteful. It does so by helping them to understand the energy and water savings that could be made, so they can lessen the impact on their bills.

n Highlight potential future savings

There are two parts to it. An Energy Health Check (EHC) assesses your use of energy and water with similar properties in like-forlike organisations. It flags up potential cuts in energy consumption you could make.

The Utility Health Check is the first step in our Utilities Management Plan, which could reduce your energy consumption by 20%.

Contact us today and receive a free Energy Health Check with a complimentary Water Audit. Call 0333 000 0132 or email help@chamberenergysolutions.co.uk.

A Water Efficiency Report looks at your bills to check for overcharging and compares your business’s actual consumption to what it could be.

n Show clients you’re serious about cutting

waste

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premierpartner

Perils of postponing succession planning

Who takes over the business is a difficult question for any owner contemplating moving on. Succession planning is one of these tasks you know you have to do but never have the time to get round to.

The demands of running the company come first, and when the crunch point comes, many business owners are not in the best position to exit their business with a considered plan in place that meets all their aspirations. Having invested their professional, and often much of their personal, life in creating something, it makes sense to take time to consider how to make that exit.

A good starting point is looking at what you want to achieve. What’s important to you? Value in a business is often more than just the price. Of course, it’s imperative that the entrepreneur is fairly rewarded for creating and maintaining a successful firm that provides employment and contributes

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to the economy. But for most owners, it’s about more than the cash they leave with.

It’s difficult just to cut the ties with a firm and not care about its future. Particularly in family businesses, preserving the legacy of that business is important. The business owner wants reassurance their business is going into safe hands. So what are the options?

A sale to a trade buyer is often the first suggestion, but won’t always be the right one. There can be some difficult negotiations around price and warranties and so on, but this route can offer a quick and clean transaction. Moreover, a trade buyer may be willing to pay above market value to gain valuable IP, a good customer base or a new location. Is this the right buyer? Will they maintain your standards of quality and customer service?

A management buyout offers continuity for the company. The business will likely remain in its location and there will be little disruption to the company’s workforce or operation. An effective management buyout does rely on the firm having a competent management team who can lead the business, and of course having the ability to raise the necessary cash.

the shares on the employees’ behalf. This can sit alongside a share scheme for employees to invest directly in the company. Evidence shows that companies owned in this way outperform peers in almost every business measure, including productivity, resilience, innovation, employee and customer satisfaction. There is an additional benefit for business owners who choose this option.

Since October 2014, vendors who sell to an Employee Ownership Trust can benefit from tax relief from Capital Gains Tax, subject to certain conditions.

Every business is different, just as every owner is different. It is never too early to consider how you will exit your company.

Take the time and explore your options. You put a lot into your business, make sure you get what you want out of it and leave it on your terms.

If you have any queries concerning this article we would be delighted to discuss them with you. Please contact Bruce Farquhar, Partner, Anderson Strathern LLP email: bruce.farquhar@andersonstrathern.co.uk or Tel: 0131 625 8166

One other option that is experiencing a surge in interest is a sale to employees.

Typically, the owner will sell the business into an Employee Ownership Trust, which holds

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A busy and successful year at Pentlands Science Park Pentlands Science Park continues to be a successful and effective location for life science and other research based companies in Midlothian.

Home of the world renowned Moredun Research Institute, the Park celebrated its 20th anniversary year in 2014 and is currently experiencing a period of change as new tenants arrive and existing tenants move around.

In 2015, the Park welcomed Orygen Antibodies Ltd, Animal Health Science UK Ltd and Biotangents as new tenants. All have settled in well to the Pentlands way of life and benefit from the excellent facilities and wide range of support services that the Park offers. Early in 2016, economic consultancy Biggar Economics became the latest new arrival taking office space within the Doherty Innovation Centre. Within the same

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building, AB Biotechnology has consolidated its operations within a newly refurbished laboratory / office suite which provides a much more effective working space for the business.

TomTom Software, tenants at the Park for some 10 years, has recently vacated its offices to move to Edinburgh Technopole and larger accommodation which it requires for expansion. PSP has had a very happy relationship with TomTom over the years, beneficial to both parties, and we wish them well in their new home. The Park already has a tenant lined up to fill remaining space within the Doherty building and the level of current demand is heartening.

The Moredun Group continues its drive to improve its environmental performance having held ISO 14001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System since 2009. The latest project is to introduce networked printing throughout the main headquarters and research building and removing local desktop printing. This will lower energy consumption and the cost of printing.

of Commerce with Park Manager, George Walker, serving as a Director on the Board.

The Park has hosted the AGM and Chamber BBQ for several years now and regularly hosts Board meetings and other Chamber events. The Park’s conference facilities have seen an upturn in business in recent years with a range of meeting space available supported by excellent catering by our contract caterer, Baxter Storey. The Park Café has seen a significant upturn in business in recent times too as Baxter Storey also provides great food at breakfast time, lunch and afternoon coffee breaks.

Towards the end of 2016, Pentlands Science Park will, jointly with Roslin Institute, be hosting the AGM and Members’ Meeting of the United Kingdom Science Park Association. Science Park Managers from around the UK will assemble for an interesting programme of presentations and workshops and an opportunity to network with colleagues and see what is going on in one of the leading clusters of animal health research in the world. www.moredun.org.uk/psp

The Group remains a strong supporter of the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber

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advertorial

Salary Sacrifice – good for the employer and the employee So with potential tax saving benefits to both employers and employees, salary sacrifice is definitely worth considering as part of a full remuneration package for employees. However employers need to be aware that they need full agreement from employees as the introduction of salary sacrifice amounts to a change in their contractual terms.

For more information, please contact Carol Wright at cwright@springfords.com Carol Wright is a Partner in Springfords LLP, accountants and business advisors to SMEs, with offices in Midlothian and West Lothian.

The benefit to the employee is that by foregoing an agreed slice of their overall gross salary in return for a tax free benefit their overall taxable salary is less so they pay less personal tax and National Insurance. In addition, a salary sacrifice for childcare vouchers can reduce relevant pay for working tax credit purposes as the value of these benefits is not included as income. All sounds good doesn’t it!

However, the employee also needs to be aware that there may be a downside as sacrificing part of their salary means they will “earn” less which may affect their maternity pay or give them an issue when applying for a mortgage. Lower earnings may also affect their State

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The benefit to you as an employer is the reduction in the amount of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) you need to pay to HMRC. Why? Well, an employer pays NICs on employees’ salaries but not on pension contributions, childcare vouchers or cycle purchase payments. The higher the salary, the more you need to pay in NICs. Reducing your employees’ salaries by way of offering an eligible salary sacrifice benefit instead of salary would therefore mean you are paying less in NICs. So if you have a large workforce, you can achieve a substantial saving in NICs. At the standard rate of 13.8% of gross salaries, then introducing a salary sacrifice scheme which reduces your gross salary bill by £10k per month would reduce your payment to HMRC of employers NIC by £1380 per month.

Quite a saving! Some employers use these savings to partly finance the additional costs of administering the scheme and put the rest towards financing other benefits. Others choose to pass on the full saving to their employees.

Pension or contribution-based state benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance. Plus they need to be careful about any life cover provided through a scheme at work as this could be less if it’s based on a lower salary depending on the conditions of the scheme.

people people

Have you ever thought about offering salary sacrifice schemes to your employees? The idea behind this is very simple. The employee gives up part of their salary and, in return, you give him/her a non-cash tax free benefit, the most popular being childcare vouchers, additional employer pension contributions and cycle to work schemes.

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Edinburgh: 0131 440 5000 • Livingston: 01506 242 002 • Falkirk: 01324 227606

Edinburgh: 0131 440 5000Email: • Livingston: 01506 242 002 • Falkirk: 01324 227606 mail@springfords.com Email: mail@springfords.com

www.springfords.com

www.springfords.com

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Are poor literacy skills holding your business or a loved one back?

In March this year, Angela Giglio celebrated six years of continued success running her Kip McGrath Education Centre in Musselburgh. A highly qualified and experienced teacher, Angela fears that far too many children are leaving school with big gaps in numeracy and literacy and wants to help.

Unfortunately, due to on-going curricular change and teacher shortages the situation continues to ignite more concerns than reassurances for parents and employers.

Under Angela’s expert guidance learners of all ages and abilities find the solution to their problems.

Angela’s passion for education doesn’t stop with school-age students. Good numeracy and literacy skills are essential throughout life and can make or break a business deal. “I’ve worked in International Management Training and Education before teaching,” says Angela.

“I’m always shocked to see how poor grammar can ruin a potentially good presentation and sadly an expert’s reputation. When business people stand up in front of the world to tell their story (either orally or in writing ) and that communication is riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, the audience is left with a very poor impression indeed. Foreign clients can associate poor literacy skills with ignorance and a lack of professionalism. It can create doubt over levels of competence.”

Introducing Unlimited Learning Ltd and Cellfield Dyslexia Treatment.

Angela is now on a new mission. Poor literacy skills are often hidden in the workplace and cause secret anxiety.

Whether they are due to gaps which went unfilled at school or something more serious, such as Dyslexia, help is at hand. There are a lot of adults out there who still struggle to read or write well. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence and whilst Richard

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Branson has learnt to cope and thrive despite his learning difficulties, the truth is that Dyslexia causes a great deal of difficulty and pain. Cellfield is an innovative treatment suitable for adults and children. Based on neuroscience and research on the brain’s plasticity, it develops and strengthens left hemisphere brain activity, which is the area used by good readers. Cellfield delivers results quickly as average gains of 2 years

in reading age can be achieved after just 2 weeks. The Kip McGrath and Cellfield centres can advantage businesses as well as schoolage children. Call Angela on 0131 665 2202 or email her at learnwithangela@yahoo.com to discover how your business could benefit from a bespoke programme. Words paint pictures and marketing mistakes can be very painful indeed!

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Where office space means business Contemporary bespoke serviced office space is available in Herkimer House in Linlithgow where we take care of all your requirements on a one to one basis so that you can take care of your business!

The meeting room will accommodate 10- 12 people and offers a 50” plasma screen for presentations.

Organised over 2 floors to provide state-of-the-art accommodation whether you need a small office or need to house a larger company then this personalised space is for you and is offered on a fully inclusive basis at very competitive prices.

If you want to work in an innovative modern and flexible environment and enjoy a professionally managed service then take a look at Herkimer House.

With its fully furnished offices Herkimer House offers you the benefit of a reception facility to meet and greet your clients and to have your calls answered in a professional manner to maximise the efficiency and prestige of your business.

Herkimer House can also provide you with excellent Virtual Office solutions – supplying a correspondence address, mail forwarding, telephone numbers, and an answering service. Car parking facilities on site complete the package.

www.herkimerhouse.co.uk herkimer.info@gmail.com 01506 841 610

Work stations come with Cat 6 cabling and telephone together with broadband/wifi access available throughout.

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

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The World in Infrared New chamber member Colin Wright is exhibiting his latest collection of images on Infrared Photography, which will include photographs from around East Lothian and also from some famous landmarks in Scotland, all in infrared. The exhibition will take place on 23rd April for two weeks, at Cockenzie House and Gardens and all are welcome.

Colin, a freelance photographer based in Dunbar specialises in corporate and newspaper/PR photography as well as reportage weddings, architecture and product photography. Since moving to East Lothian, he has been impressed with the wonderful variety of the landscape and the people who live in the County.

The manageable size of the both the East Lothian and Midlothian communities make it a great place to do business As a newspaper photographer, he also work freelance for the Midlothian Advertiser and is familiar with Midlothian thus he believes there is a natural business link as well as a geographical connection between the two communities. For more info visit www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk or www.colinwrightphotography.com

Are Scotland’s independent accommodation providers missing out? and people will turn up on their doorstep unexpectedly and unannounced. This is true of some systems, but not all, so it’s worth looking for a ‘non-live’ system. This means that a booking can be made online, but it has to be physically accepted by the provider before it’s confirmed.

“We specialise in supporting smaller or privately owned providers, who are usually offering accommodation in their own homes, so we know that having this option is important to them.”

Less than half (48%) of the 573 guest houses and only 38% of the 1,448 Bed & Breakfast providers on www.visitscotland. com are benefiting from offering online booking systems, according to recent figures from VisitScotland. This means that a large part of Scotland’s independently run accommodation providers may be missing out on a slice of over £3 million* worth of bookings originating on the website to competitors who offer fast and easy online booking.

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Although online booking has grown in popularity in recent years, Cassie Bouverie, owner of Private House Stays, one of the booking partners working with VisitScotland, believes there are a number of concerns and misconceptions that may deter providers from taking the ‘online’ plunge.

Cassie said: “We know that people like to be able to book online quickly. But often accommodation providers think that if they offer this service they will lose control

And with people spending on average 31 hours every month on their laptop or PC and 66% of people using a smart phone**, Cassie believes that providers who don’t go online are likely to miss out. An online booking system is aimed at saving time and money so, crucially, it needs to be simple to operate and maintain, with no hidden costs.

Specifically suited to smaller, privatelyowned accommodation providers, Private House Stays aims to help run their business either as a main or secondary income, in a way that suits their lives. www.privatehousestays.com www.visitscotland.com

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New Family Business degrees to be launched at QMU Queen Margaret University (QMU) has announced plans to launch two new postgraduate study programmes in Family Business in 2016.

Following five years of industry consultation with organisations such as Scottish Family Business Association, Family Business United and a range of family-run Scottish businesses, the University has developed a new MSc International Management & Leadership with Family & Smaller Enterprise (subject to validation) and a new MBA Family & Smaller Enterprise (subject to validation), to meet a growing demand.

The two specialist programmes will offer experienced business professionals, as well as recent business graduates and those who are returning to the family business after studying for an unrelated degree, greater insight into the value, practice and function of family businesses. Topics will include

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family business succession, governance, behavioural finance and risk.

improving the growth and sustainability of this vital sector.

In 2014, a major research project involving QMU’s business experts revealed how family businesses and SMEs in Scotland have the potential to boost the country’s annual economy by up to £1.23 billion.

“Our research suggests that family businesses are crying out for the right kind of support to help them succeed across the generations. If we want to change thinking and practice and improve business succession across these businesses, we need an integrated approach to learning, research and influencing policy.”

The study, which also involved government bodies, businesses and professional advisers, indicates that Scotland needs to do more to build and protect this important sector.

There is an opportunity for Scotland to lead America and parts of Europe in providing the knowledge, skills and support needed to become a world-wide centre of excellence.

In Scotland, SMEs account for 99.3% of all private sector enterprises and 63% of these are family businesses.

Dr Claire Seaman, Reader in Enterprise & Family Business at QMU, said: “After several years of industry consultation, we’re very pleased to have reached this milestone in the development of our new MSc and MBA in Family Business Management.

For more information contact Dr Claire Seaman, Reader in Enterprise & Family Business at QMU, E: CSeaman@qmu.ac.uk, T: 0131 474 0000. n International Management and

Leadership with Family and Smaller Enterprise (subject to validation), www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse. cfm?c_id=283 n MBA Family and Smaller Enterprise

(subject to validation), www.qmu.ac.uk/courses/PGCourse. cfm?c_id=282

“We will continue to engage and work with Scotland’s SME and family business policy makers and practitioners to explore ways of

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The dangerous studio story

Dangerous is a video production company specialising in animation and social media content.

Leith-based Dangerous have been turning rough concepts into polished animated videos for over three years. Creative Director, Brendan Reilly, started the business after a long and successful career in broadcast and commercial television.

Working with the BBC and Channel 4 through a series of independent production companies, Brendan’s work has featured on shows including; Dispatches, Imagine and Panorama. At the other end of the audience age spectrum, he worked on well-known BBC Scotland Children’s shows – Woolly and Tig and Disaster Chefs. Brendan’s Commercial work has seen him work with

some truly iconic brands including Irn Bru, Ardbeg, The Scottish Government, Bulmers and Subway.

Brendan launched Dangerous to bring professional animation video production into the budgets of more businesses.

“I wanted to take the skills I’ve learned over the last 20 years to create an animation studio that wasn’t just for organisations with very deep pockets. For me, now, more than ever, animated video is within reach of most budgets. It’s such a scalable and flexible medium,” said Brendan.

Dangerous continue to work with Television Production companies on a variety of projects, but much of the focus now, is on working directly with business owners.

Brendan explains, “We really enjoy helping clients find the concept that will help them tell their story. Seeing that process right through to the final video, gives the entire team a great sense of achievement.”

The next stage in the development of Dangerous sees them partner with two other businesses to create Keyframe Collective.

The Scottish Enterprise supported business will deliver Social Media Video Campaigns to organisations of all sizes.

Creative director, Brendan Reilly

To find out more about Dangerous visit www.dangerousstudio.com. You can keep up-to-date with the development of Keyframe Collective through the Dangerous LinkedIn and Facebook presence.

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West Lothian letting agent tells local MP about importance of apprentices As part of Scottish Apprentice Week between 29th February–4th March, Chamber member Mavor & Co welcomed Hannah Bardell, SNP MP for Livingston, to their office in West Lothian.

During the visit Ms. Bardell was introduced to Mavor & Co’s two Modern Apprentices, Allanah Lees and Kirsten McDonald. Allanah has also achieved her qualification though the office for SVQ Business Administration Level 3 which will help her future career.

As well as introducing Ms. Bardell to the two modern apprentices, Mavor & Co also described the high standards they have had to meet to be awarded Investor in People status, a further sign of excellence in developing staff.

By using modern apprentices, the Mavor & Co is able to introduce new staff to their business and ensure they are trained to the highest possible standard, rightly expected of tenants or landlord using a letting agent in the private rented sector for their housing.

Pat Mavor, owner of Mavor & Co said: “It was particularly appropriate to have Hannah Bardell MP visit our office for Scottish Apprentice Week. Our two modern apprentices are a key part of our strategy to ensure we are able to deliver the highest possible service to both our landlord and tenant customers, instilling high standards of knowledge and care from the very beginning.”

“We are particularly delighted that both our modern apprentices are from West Lothian, helping us give something back to the community which is so important for a small business such as ours. I was also delighted to suggest that any constituents who need assistance should drop in to one of our free property drop-in sessions which we hold regularly.”

Hannah Bardell MP said: “Apprenticeship week is incredibly important as it highlights the importance of apprentices in our

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workforce and encourages businesses to find the talent they need to grow, by training people with the determination to become a highly skilled worker.”

“It is so important to highlight local businesses who have rooted in their ethos a desire to give back and provide high levels of customer service. I was delighted to meet with Pat to discuss her vision for the local community and to hear about her commitment to apprenticeships in Mavor & Co was inspiring. It was a pleasure to meet both Allanah and Kirsten. She and her business are a fantastic example of how a local company can support young talent and benefit the wider community.”

“We are particularly delighted that both our modern apprentices are from West Lothian, helping us give something back to the community “ businessconnect

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advertorial

More life at

Torness power station’s place in the East Lothian community has been assured after its owner EDF Energy decided to extend the station’s operating life by seven years.

The announcement not only means that the station will continue to generate low carbon electricity for UK homes and businesses until at least 2030 but as the area’s second largest employer it means job security for the people who work there and continued investment in the East Lothian economy.

In 2015, Torness produced enough electricity to power 2.1 million homes and avoided seven million tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of taking 3.3 million cars off the road.

The decision follows extensive technical and safety reviews of the plant which were shared with the independent nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Station Director Paul Winkle said: “The team at Torness worked hard to make the business and safety case that would allow the station to continue producing low carbon electricity beyond its original operating life of 2023.

Through the technical and safety reviews we

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carried out and the professional relationship we have with the regulator we are satisfied that we can safely prolong the operating life of Torness.”

The station employs more than 500 people directly and a further 250 contract partners.

Paul continued: “Our workforce is like a family and they take great satisfaction in their work. To be able to tell that workforce that their jobs are secure is great news and since most of our people live locally the life extension means they continue to put money back into the East Lothian economy.”

But it is not just about workers spending their salaries locally. The station works regularly with many small local businesses including specialist engineering firms and statutory outages also benefit the area.

During last year’s outage more than 500 extra workers joined the workforce for 10 weeks providing a boost to the local economy. Local shops, taxi firms, restaurants,

B&Bs and hotels all benefited from the large number of extra people who were staying in and around East Lothian.

The station is an enthusiastic supporter of community events. It is a regular sponsor of the Dunbar SciFest and brings science workshops to local schools through its sponsorship of the Edinburgh Science Festival.

It is also good news for the station’s apprentices. Twenty-nine apprentices are currently going through the four year scheme and recruitment is underway for the 2016 intake.

Fourth year apprentice Dan Martin said: “I decided to do an apprenticeship at Torness because I wanted to have a good job when I qualified. I also live nearby so the location is really handy for me. The life extension means having a more secure career for the next few years and gaining some really good experience in the nuclear industry.”

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Torness

“I decided to do an apprenticeship at Torness because I wanted to have a good job when I qualified.�

Dan Martin Fourth year apprentice

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Station director lo What does the life extension decision mean for jobs and the local economy?

The station employs more than 500 people directly and a further 250 contract partners - that makes us the second largest employer in the area. The workforce is like a family and they take great satisfaction in their work. To be able to to give them some certainty about the future was great and since most of our people live locally the life extension means they will continue to put money back into the East Lothian economy.

It goes wider than that though. The station works with small local businesses including specialist engineering firms and each of our two reactors is subject to a statutory outage every three years. These outages benefit the area hugely; last year more than 500 extra workers joined the workforce for 10 weeks.

That provided a great boost to the local economy.

What future do you see for nuclear generally and how does it fit into the need to meet the UK’s energy requirements?

Paul Winkle

Station Director at EDF Energy’s Torness Power Station

You are the Station Director at EDF Energy’s Torness Power Station - what was your journey into this role?

As well as having a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Glasgow University, I’ve also held a number of technical and managerial roles that have helped me understand both the technical aspects of the work I do and the importance of having great people around you. The other bit of my journey is about personal experiences; things like growing up on a farm and the self reliance that that teaches you; or the discussions I have with my wife who has a very different background to me and encourages a diversity in my thinking.

Perhaps the key is to learn from every experience you have in life, both at home and at work.

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What has been your most satisfying moment as Station Director?

I think the most satisfying moment so far was being able to confirm to the workforce at Torness that the life of the station was being extended by seven years. Torness has been generating since 1988 and was originally scheduled to close in 2023 but now it will continue providing low carbon electricity until 2030. Before the decision was made the staff here worked really hard to make the business and safety cases needed to grant the extension. We carried out extensive technical and safety reviews of the plant and shared them with our independent regulator, the ONR. In the end EDF Energy was satisfied that we could safely prolong the operating life of Torness. It was a brilliant team effort and it really paid off.

I’m passionate about nuclear. It’s safe and reliable and while it’s capable of producing high volumes of electricity it is also low carbon; last year our Scottish stations at Torness and Hunterston avoided 13 million tonnes of carbon, the equivalent of taking more than 6 million cars off the road.

However, if the UK is to meet the energy challenges of the future we need to have a mix of energy sources. That is why EDF is also committed to developing renewables projects across the country. We already have five windfarms in Scotland and seventy percent of our development projects are here.

What motivates you when you come into work every day?

I have a great job. I’m a very small part of a team that is committed to running Torness safely and reliably. Torness really feels like a family where people help each other to work to high standards and take a genuine pride in their work. The Torness team has delivered industry leading safety standards whilst generating electricity to power Scotland’s economy. It’s great to be a part of that success.

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ooks to the future Paul Winkle is the station director at Torness power station.

He joined Scottish Nuclear (now EDF-Energy) in 1996 and initially worked in the Engineering Office at East Kilbride. In April 2002 Paul became maintenance manager at Torness and in 2006 moved to acting plant manager at Hunterston B. He then returned to Torness as plant manager later on in 2006.

Paul was promoted to station director at Heysham 2 in Lancashire in 2008 and in 2009 moved back to Torness as station director.

Completing his studies at Glasgow University, Paul joined GEC Alstom as a graduate trainee before joining EDF Energy in 1996 as a senior engineer covering both of the company’s Scottish stations – Hunterston B and Torness.

Paul has two daughters - Kirsty (22) and Hannah (20) and lives in Gullane, East Lothian with his wife Alisoun.

Paul is also a published author as he edited an ‘Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ journal.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

We need to deliver value to our customers whilst never compromising on safety. Safety is our overriding priority and must always be adequately resourced and funded. However, our customers are rightly concerned that their bills should be fair and reasonable and expect us to work efficiently. The challenge we have is to drive customer value through efficiency improvements whilst always protecting our excellent safety performance.

What are your interests away from the station?

I like to be active whenever possible. In winter I like to go on skiing holidays, while the rest of the year I do a bit of running, cycling and swimming and the occasional game of golf.

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The workforce is like a family and they take great satisfaction in their work. To be able to to give them some certainty about the future was great and since most of our people live locally the life extension means they will continue to put money back into the East Lothian economy. businessconnect

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Wi-Fi connecting your business and customers In today’s world it is becoming more and more important to be connected and having access to Wi-Fi is often a key factor in people’s selection on leisure, businesses and travel locations.

It’s not about Wi-Fi technology per se, it’s about how you approach it and apply the connectivity, according to Felix Gibson, founder and CEO of 802Works.

Recently successfully partnering with Milngavie Business Improvement District (BID) 802Works provided Wi-Fi across the town centre, renowned as the starting point of the highly-popular West Highland Way. Ian Lavrie, a Milngavie BID team manager, said: “The West Highland Way attracts visitors from all over the world and the new WiFi hub will allow them to take selfies and videos and post them immediately to social media sites, bringing Milngavie to the world.”

“We live in an interconnected age and free WiFi is what people look for when they are going about their day-to day activities.

Milngavie is once again leading the way in giving consumers what they really want from their shopping experience.”

Albion Rovers are playing in Scottish League One, but the Cliftonhill crackers are in the Premier League when it comes to looking after their loyal fans by to bring high density free WiFi to their legions of regular supporters as well as crowds of away fans

Albion Rovers’ far-sighted commitment to their supporters and their willingness to embrace innovation shows the way for other football clubs in Scotland, and indeed the UK, to improve the supporter experience.

How businesses promote a service or product and how they communicate with their target audience is key, and 802 Works sees Wi-Fi as an absolute given. www.802works.co.uk

802 Event WiFi CEO Felix Gibson said: “Until now, only the Old Firm have been able to offer their fans this level of instant connection with the club and the wider sporting environment.

Do you need a Business Mentor?

Do you have the ambition to grow your existing business?

Do you find yourself with more problems than solutions?

Is there a market out there you would love to tap into but don’t know how?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you would benefit from Business Mentoring.

A FREE service directed at managers, business owners or directors who could benefit from the advice and knowledge of a mentor to help grow their company or their own personal development.

Business mentors understand how difficult it can be to run a business, and how lonely you can sometimes feel. Mentors can help

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you stand back from your business and look at the “big picture”. They can offer helpful advice, caution against potential pitfalls and build your confidence in your own abilities.

“Mentoring has been a rewarding experience for me. I really enjoy helping my mentee think through the different approaches that he could use to help grows his business. If find his energy and enthusiasm infectious and always come away from our sessions motivated to tackle some of my own tricky issues.” Business Mentor, Anne Farr, Rothera Group The service is delivered across Scotland through a partnership between Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

If you are a Scottish Business generating a steady turnover and want to increase this by £200,000 or more over a three year period,

you are eligible to access this funded service.

For more information contact Brenda or Heidi at mentoring@wlchamber.com

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membersnews

More than just Networking The Chamber is continually working to support the growth of West Lothian through partnership working with local businesses, colleges, schools and the WL Council.

Working together to target projects and initiatives to make an impact on youth unemployment, education and much more.

Recently we have been involved in a range of projects aimed at developing West Lothian’s skills base, the most successful of these has been the #getajob. The aim of the programme was to better equip 18 – 24 year olds with the skills needed to engage with employers. From the candidates who completed the programme 10 are now in

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employment 3 went on to college and 2 to university.

The Chamber is working with all local schools to help build enterprise into their curriculum.

The most successful of these initiatives is the Mitsubishi Pump it Up Challenge, now in its third year. This challenge is aimed at secondary school pupils across West Lothian, to think up, design and present a use for a heat pump. To spark an interest in engineering at a young age with the view of taking it on to their future career.

over ÂŁ20 000 through a variety of means.

Most recently for No Limits with the Total Warrior Challenge and West Lothian Youth Action Project with the charity prize draw at the Business Excellence Awards.

We are currently working on ways to build on this success with new projects to be launched later this year.

Stay up to date on our website www.wlchamber.com

We are also here to support local charities and over the years the Chamber has raised

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Training company seeks out Cyber Stars as part of battle against hackers

Specialist training company Inteltrain is offering a programme to help organisations keep their digital data secure from hackers, by creating ‘Cyber Stars’ in each of their departments.

The Level 2 Award in Cyber Security Awareness for Business helps people working at all levels of organisations to identify cyber security risks.

The programme will allow them to take action to prevent the kind of attacks that have hit a number of high profile businesses over recent months, costing them millions of pounds and resulting in the details of thousands of customers being stolen.

Inteltrain says that the threat to business from cyber crime is very real. In a recent global survey, Grant Thornton International Business Report revealed that 15 per cent of businesses reported having faced a cyber attack in a single year, with the EU region hit worst.

The attacks are costing global business more than £200bn a year, with the financial industry bearing the brunt of the attacks; 26 per cent of financial businesses reported being attacked.

Despite the risks, only half of the businesses surveyed had a cyber security strategy.

Inteltrain says that, rather than living in fear of an attack, businesses can take practical steps to prevent it happening. The programme, being delivered by Inteltrain in partnership with cyber security specialists Intqual-Pro, is a new qualification which includes practical examples and scenarios to allow learners to train using real-life incidents.

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The training is structured to meet specific individual or organisational needs and includes classroom teaching, supported by online resources and Assessor support.

The qualification is ideal for any size of business with an IT system and is suited to those working in a range of operational and analytical roles Nick Atkinson, Inteltrain Commercial Manager, said: “There is a lot of concern about data security at the moment, particularly given a whole host of recent incidents when high profile companies were hacked into.

“We think, for example, if an organisation has 1,000 employees, they should have 100 Cyber Stars working at all levels. It is not enough to train just one or two people. Every department should have one.

“Look at first aid. Organisations have first aiders in every department and yet they might only have one two employees trained in cyber security, effectively leaving themselves vulnerable.”

Those successfully undertaking the Cyber Star initiative will become an officially qualified representative tasked with ensuring the implementation of cyber security policies within their area of responsibility.

The training for the OFQUAL-regulated qualification is delivered by a range of former Government and HM Armed Forces cyber security specialists.

Nick said: “This training is critical. Data security should not just be about a small number of people, it should run throughout the business. The Cyber Stars programme helps organisations achieve that.

“The threat of cyber-crime to UK business users continues to rise each year. The Cyber Stars programme provides employees with the skills to ensure that their organisation operates safely online.”

You can find out more about Inteltrain and its products at www.inteltrain.com

“There is a lot of concern about data security at the moment, particularly given a whole host of recent incidents when high profile companies were hacked into.” spring2016

Corporate Membership

Corporate Golf Bundles

Discounts on food, bowling, golf, and much more, as well as a complimentary conference room twice a year up to a maximum of 180 people. Contact us for a full list of benefits.

This golf bundle allows you extensive access to our championship golf course and gives you the opportunity to entertain your clients in style with generous discounts on food and beverage in our comfortable, newly refurbished clubhouse.

Corporate GOLD Membership • One named Golf and Country Club member • Two named off-peak Golf and Country Club members • 15 Tee-Time vouchers, worth up to £2100 each voucher is for a maximum of 4 golfers

Included in your Golf Bundle: • � 25 Tee Time Vouchers valued at up to £3500 to use whenever you wish • � Generous discounts on Food and Beverage • � Conference facilities at preferential rates • � Free Wi-Fi • � Widespread promotion as our Corporate Partner • � Discounted corporate golf days

Corporate SILVER Membership • One named Golf and Country Club member • One named off-peak Golf and Country Club member • 10 Tee-Time vouchers, worth up to £1400 each voucher is for a maximum of 4 golfers

Email binglis@muir-group.co.uk for more information.

Half an hour from the city centre…

A million miles from the office…

Email ndewar@muir-group.co.uk for more information.

01506 446699

www.deer-park.co.uk

Deer Park Golf & Country Club, Golf Course Road, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 8AB

The Best Western Kings Manor Hotel The Best Western Kings Manor Hotel could in some people’s eyes be seen as a bit of a contradiction. Its main building dates back to an earlier life as a country home whereas there is no mistaking that the modern Club Bedrooms and the extensive leisure facilities place this hotel firmly in the forefront of the 21st Century hospitality industry.

The Hotel recently celebrated 15 years as a member of Best Western the world largest Hotel brand yet this year it also celebrates 40 years as a family owned and run hotel. With Les Solley and his wife Lyn both as firmly in charge as when the Solley family bought the hotel in 1976. Even the location can confuse.

It’s 7 minutes by train from the city centre and regular buses and taxis make this a popular city base for both business and leisure guests, yet its about a 10 minute stroll to Portobello beach, surely Edinburgh’s most underrated attraction, and only a few minutes further to picturesque Musselburgh Harbour. Golfers can

Tel: +44 (0) 131 669 0444

Fax: +44 (0) 131 669 6650

jump in their car and be on the tee of some of the worlds greatest courses in well under 30 minutes.

So how has the recent refurbishment of the popular Lauders restaurant reflected this dichotomy. Well you would be expecting Prime Ribeye Steak to feature, you won’t be disappointed! But Venison Burgers , well maybe, but 3 types of Malaysian Laksa Broth? Monkfish and Parma Ham Kebabs?

How about Haggis Scotch Eggs, to start or smoked Portobello mushrooms for vegetarians.

Puddings, Yes there’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, how could we leave it off! But there’s also a Summer Pudding with a Mojito Creme Fraiche and Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake.

What can you expect? To get a warm welcome, to be well looked after, To enjoy some very good food, to want to come back.

Look forward to seeing you

Email: reservations@kingsmanor.com

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asktheexpert

The National Living Wage – questions answered What is the National Living Wage?

What will it mean for you as an employer?

Firstly, it’s easy to get confused by the variety of different wages, national and otherwise, that there currently are for employers to get their heads and payroll around.

To comply with the new compulsory rates, you may have to increase some of your employees’ wages, and implement a rigorous record keeping system to ensure workers in your employment turning 25 roll on to the higher pay scale.

National Living Wage is compulsory from April 2016: workers aged 25 and over will be entitled to a wage of £7.20 per hour - a 50p rise on the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The NMW will continue to apply to those under the age of 25. The Chancellor's Autumn statement actually committed the Government to £9 by April 2020, or 60% of UK median earnings if higher than £9 at that date. The National Living Wage by April 2020 could therefore be even higher.

The Living Wage is a voluntary rate released

by The Living Wage Foundation and calculated against the cost of living. The voluntary Living Wage rate currently stands at £8.25, and £9.40 in London.

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Criminal prosecutions and unlimited fines also await those in breach of the rules.

Those that fail to comply should prepare to be named and shamed and it’s worth remembering that being branded as a bad employer certainly hasn’t done Sports Direct much good recently. Again, accurate record keeping and thorough management of payroll will help you here.

What might the impact be for employees?

Those with tight staffing budgets may expect a big squeeze in cash flow, one that may make growth difficult so will you

be lowering the differential between pay grades or raising your prices to compensate?

Research from the Living Wage Foundation found improved staff performance, retention and reduced absenteeism did much to counter increased payroll costs.

Surprisingly, low-wage workers too have concerns about the introduction of the new rates, echoing similar arguments to those heard during the introduction of the National Minimum Wage. Will employers look to recruit younger and therefore cheaper staff?

By putting a minimum rate in place, there is a danger that this becomes a target for employers, lowering incremental wage rises, and causing real wages for some to drop.

If you would like assistance and guidance on managing the impact of the National Living Wage on your business or any other HR matter, please get in touch with us at The HR Dept 0131 297 7545 or contact our Director, Ian Pilbeam at ian.pilbeam@hrdept.co.uk

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chamberfeature

The end of the tax return for small businesses A note from Jim Harra, Director General for Business Tax, HMRC: Tax is getting easier for the 340,370 small businesses in Scotland and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is showing people how in a new video.

We know that independent traders and people running small businesses in Scotland want a simpler tax system. They are busy seizing business opportunities and serving their customers, so would rather not spend time digging out months of receipts to fill out their annual tax return.

That’s why HMRC is committed to transforming the tax system to create something that is more effective, more efficient and easier for taxpayers. Most of the UK’s 5.4 million businesses already manage their tax online – over 99% of VAT returns are submitted online. By 2020 we will have abolished the dreaded annual tax return and replaced it with a simpler online system.

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The new digital tax accounts integrate the different information businesses have to provide‎ into a simple, seamless process, from entering it in a business recordkeeping app through to sending it to HMRC. So instead of one big, onerous tax return each year, businesses can check that the information they are recording is correct, and simply click "send" to update HMRC once a quarter.

Many taxpayers want more certainty over their tax bill and access to an in-year picture of their tax position, which their new digital accounts will provide. We know that too many viable new businesses go under when they receive their tax bill simply because they didn’t know how much to set aside.

Digital tax accounts will help fix this issue.

For those small businesses who aren't already keeping records digitally, there will be a range of software packages and apps available to use, including free ones for those with simple, straightforward tax affairs. There will also be clear, simple advice on how to use the new digital tax account. ‎Some businesses will want time to adjust, which is why these reforms are being introduced bit by bit, with no one moving onto the new system before 2018. Later this spring, we will consult widely on how the new system should operate. And people who

genuinely can't use digital tools - perhaps because they can't access broadband, or don't own a computer or smartphone - will be offered alternatives, like nominating someone else to update their information for them, or giving information by phone.

This new system will be a major step towards the UK having the best tax administration system in the world. It means the end of the annual tax return, and is a simpler and easier way of doing things.

An animation called Making Tax Digital showing how the new digital tax accounts will work and how local businesses will benefit from using the online system can be found at HMRC’s YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/watch?v=So1U0RzUGcs

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Delivering world class connectivity to the Lothians

The £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme is busy installing fibre broadband across Scotland, connecting areas which weren’t going to be covered commercially.

It’s part of the Scottish Government’s plans to ensure that Scotland is a world class digital nation by 2020.

The Digital Scotland rollout consists of two projects – one covering the Highlands and Islands area and the other covering the rest of Scotland. Funding partners include the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), local authorities and the European Regional Development Fund, as well as BT. Superfast, Fibre and High Speed are all names used for the next generation of broadband, also sometimes referred to as “faster broadband” or “next generation broadband”. It differs from basic broadband in that it is much faster in terms of the data it can transfer. So, if you have high speed broadband in your business, it’s much easier

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to perform tasks that involve a lot of data – like transferring large files. The type of high speed broadband the DSSB programme is rolling out is ‘fibre broadband’.

The principles behind the DSSB programme involve bringing faster speeds to as many people as possible with the funding available.

Many people in communities across the Lothians have already benefitted. In East Lothian these include: Aberlady, Cockenzie, Dunbar, Gifford, Gullane, Haddington, Longniddry, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Pencaitland, Port Seton and Tranent. In Midlothian the programme has connected premises in: Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Mayfield, Newtongrange and Penicuik and in West Lothian the communities of Addiewell, Armadale, Bathgate, Blackburn , Blackridge, Broxburn, Fauldhouse, Stoneyburn, West Calder, Westfield, Whitburn, Winchburgh now have fibre broadband.

To date, about 14,000 premises across the Lothians have been passed by the Digital Scotland rollout, with more to follow. Local people need to sign up for the new services with an internet service provider, as upgrades over to the new network are not automatic.

Reaching on average 7,000 premises a week across Scotland, the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme is one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in Europe.

broadband, now 85% can. By the end of March 2018, 95% of homes and businesses will be able to connect.

Sara Budge, DSSB programme director, said, “The faster speeds fibre broadband brings can be completely transformational for SMEs. It’s quite clear from a number of surveys that once these businesses get online, their potential to increase sales by over 50 per cent can happen almost overnight. In order to realize the socio – economic benefits fibre broadband offers, it’s important that people throughout the Lothians get on board as soon as the service becomes available.”

Budget constraints and technical challenges mean around 5% of Scotland will not be part of DSSB programme’s roll-out of fibre broadband. However, one initiative that will help deliver improved broadband connectivity, including superfast broadband, to the final 5% is Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) which works with remote communities to deliver local broadband projects.

Visit www.scotlandsuperfast.com to check if fibre broadband is available in your area, read more about the benefits and register for updates. Once it’s available you’ll need to contact your service provider to order the service.

As recently as 2013, only 52% of premises in Scotland could access high speed

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membersnews

What’s behind Cockenzie’s clinker wall? Everything for the entrepreneur Only 30 minutes from Edinburgh, past what is left of the old power station, driving to North Berwick, you probably already know where we are!

Behind tall trees and clinker walls lies Cockenzie House, a 17th Century gem, today a hub of entrepreneurial and artistic activity.

Historic and not so historic rooms are being put to good use as offices, project spaces, studios and meeting rooms for permanent occupation or temporary hire.

Here is a vibrant community of small businesses, artists and therapists. Maddie Corbin, whose award winning Pea Green Boat Company makes cheese sables in the

spring2016

old kitchens for Fortnum and Mason, and others, said: “We feel very privileged to have our kitchen in Cockenzie House – a building with so much history, and now such a vibrant and diverse community within it – not many small food production businesses are so lucky! We particularly enjoy exploring the gardens in our lunch breaks.”

Fiona Lambert, Redesign Network, a community business which inspires people to upcycle and reuse says, “We wanted to be part of a creative community and enjoy working on joint projects within the House.

Our bright studio overlooking the heritage garden is a great venue for upcycling workshops.

There is so much more in the Main House.

The William Cadell Suite, named after a founder of the Carron Iron Works who first leased the house in 1719, provides unique spaces for meetings, conferences and private dinners, all allowing your party to spill out into the listed gardens, for drinks,

or to enjoy momentarily some sunshine before resuming your busy agenda.

Cockenzie House and Gardens is also home to the Secret Garden Café, operated

by Scottish German company Falko Konditormeister. Open to the public from Wednesday to Thursday, Falko’s Bakery (rated in the UK’s top 30) and kitchen can provide all your catering needs.

As a social enterprise, set up to cater for the community of Cockenzie and Port Seton, they believe their rates are very reasonable. Used by Fenix Events, Social Enterprise East Lothian, and the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club, they are able to provide your event with a unique background.

They proudly launch their refurbished conservatory which seats up to 75 and offers maximum sunlight, great step free access and your own patio area. To book space or your event, call +44(0)1875 819 456 or email info@cockenziehouseandgardens.co.uk

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membersnews

Preparing for the Gillespie Macandrew Hopetoun International Horse Trials An action-packed weekend of family fun alongside top level international equestrian sport awaits spectators at Hopetoun International 2016 between June 16th – 19th.

Ranked as one of Scotland’s premier equestrian events, Hopetoun Horse Trials is set against the stunning backdrop of Scotland’s finest stately home on the banks of the Forth.

Gillespie Macandrew has supported the Hopetoun Horse Trials since its inception in 2011. A leading Scottish law firm, Gillespie Macandrew, has deep roots in the rural business community and represents around a million acres of rural, development and industrial land, making the association with Hopetoun Horse Trials a very natural fit.

Robert Scott-Dempster is the lead partner for the firm’s Land and Rural Business team.

He said: “It has always been a privilege to be part of the Hopetoun Horse Trials.”

“Against the magnificent backdrop of the Hopetoun Estate and 17th century stately

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home, the event brings together the very best of town and country for a fantastic family day out. For us, it provides a unique opportunity to entertain our clients and their families in a relaxed, non-business environment. Building relationships with our clients is fundamental to our approach as a law firm. We value the personal connection and the Hopetoun event with its informal yet professional approach embraces that perfectly.

“We act for farmers, land managers and rural landowners across Scotland, advising on the full range of commercial and legal issues faced in running rural businesses.

The Hopetoun Horse Trials epitomises the entrepreneurial and diversified approach to successful rural enterprises.”

Some of the world’s best-known event riders such as Zara Phillips, Sir Mark Todd, Lucinda Fredericks and Nicola Wilson have all competed at Hopetoun since the first international competition.

“The cross-country course offers excitement at every turn, and some of the most stunning views across the Forth that there are.” said Event Director Stuart Buntine.

“Lord Hopetoun sees the Trials as Hopetoun’s flagship event. Our guiding principle is to provide a top quality event to match this fabulous setting,” added Stuart “With the addition of the Tri Star Grand Slam for 2016, Hopetoun looks set to be a ‘must attend’ event for the world’s best eventers in a bid to win the £50,000 prize pot that the Grand Slam offers.”

However, Hopetoun 2016 is shaping up to be so much more than just the horses. There is a bigger than ever line up of entertainment with something to amuse all ages and interests. With a family dog show, stalls selling everything from high end country clothing to artisan beef burgers, dog agility and an array of childrens’ entertainers, there will be enough to keep even the most seasoned event-goer busy.

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membersnews

Motorhome hire, but not as you know it.

Motorhome Hire Scotland is a family business focused on providing motorhome hire holidays that are relaxing from start to finish.

David Gill, the owner of Motorhome Hire Scotland, is a motorsports and motorhome enthusiast. Travelling around the UK, and further afield into Europe for motorsport events, David has over thirty years of experience with hiring, owning and using motorhomes. A desire to share this passion and knowledge is what led to starting Motorhome Hire Scotland.

“A motorhome is a great way to experience everything that Scotland has to offer. It is also a brilliant alternative to regular accommodation for pursuing sports or events away from home. Over the years I have dealt with many motorhome hire companies and received varying levels of service. At Motorhome Hire Scotland our aim is to ensure that our customers get the best service from start to finish and we bring our years of experience as owners and customers to the business.”

Bringing a personal touch to all holiday bookings, David and his team strive to make each booking as smooth as possible. While other hire companies focus on the hire period itself, Motorhome Hire Scotland pride themselves on looking at the whole holiday. It is the little details that can make or break a holiday

and David is on hand to help throughout.

have a holiday tailored to their interests.

“Many of our customers travel to Scotland from overseas. Trying to coordinate flights and picking up a motorhome can be stressful for anyone, and even more so if you don’t know the area. We offer a pick up service from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports to our base and can also arrange local accommodation. We want to help our customers slow down and relax before starting their driving holiday”

Motorhome Hire Scotland’s emphasis on relaxation and customer care extends to the vehicles themselves, which are all high specification Bailey or Mercedes Benz models. Each vehicle has a bike rack fitted as standard and are kitted out with all the essentials for a holiday on the road.

West Lothian’s central location makes it a great stepping off point for discovering Scotland. While most visitors will have their ‘must visit’ spots, Motorhome Hire Scotland can help with route planning and create custom itineraries ensuring that customers

Having recently moved into new premises in Broxburn, David and his family are looking forward to sharing their expertise and knowledge with motorhome hire enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

For more information please contact Motorhome Hire Scotland on 0333 200 1663 or visit www.motorhomehire-scotland.co.uk

Going for growth internationally

At ClickNetherfield, museum showcases are at the very heart of what they excel in providing to a growing list of prestigious international clients – The Smithsonian in Washington, The National Palace Museum in Taiwan and The National Palace Museum in Beijing to name but a few examples.

Based in Livingston, the company in recent years has witnessed a surge in demand from international museums for their showcase manufacturing expertise. Not only has this resulted in expanding the workforce locally by 35 % in the last 3 years but it has also now attributed to 70 % of their revenue in 2015 coming from overseas in what is now typically a £10 million pound annual business.

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In 2016 the company is celebrating many large-scale projects coming to fruition after many months of design, manufacture and on-site installation within the respective countries. All of this achieved through local expertise across many specialisms such as 3D CAD design, international project management and international logistics and installation skills. Co-owner Jim Stewart commented “We are lucky to have such a pool of talented individuals at all levels within our organisation and we nurture that to ensure that our business can fully take on the challenges of working across borders. Many of our professional team work in and across international time zones and many are equally bilingual. To achieve all this internally is a remarkable feat and has been as a result of continual investment in manpower and having access to state-of-the-art facilities and the latest equipment.”

This year ClickNetherfield has already witnessed two key multimillion pound project completions with the opening of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Taiwan and the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. The company looks forward to the completion of further installations later on in the year that include the The Museum of African American History in Washington and the new Ahmed Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Museum in Kuwait.

For further information contact showcases@clicknetherfield. com or call 01506 835 200

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West Lothian Allied Irish Andrew McGeorge 01312 438006 www.business.aib.ie Avinash Business Consultants Ltd Sudha Mani 08000 399232 info@avinashbusinessconsultants.com www.avinashbusinessconsultants.com Brooklyn Kitchens John Gallagher 08082 819511 inspired@brooklynkitchens.co.uk www.brooklynkitchens.co.uk Driver Hire Rachael McWilliams 01316 247712 rachael.mcwilliams@driverhire.co.uk www.driverhire.co.uk/edinburghwest Electrify Marketing & Communications Lawrence Broadie 07966 216270 Please@electrify.me.uk www.electrify.me.uk Emma Maclean Associates Emma MacLean 07767 099858 hello@emmamaclean.com www.emmamaclean.com Glenavon Insurance Stephen Stornmonth 01314 432971 www.glenavoninsurance.com

Glow 2 U - Spray Tanning Alison Cameron 01506 206168 GM Bookkeeping Gina Morrow 07989 802758 www.gmbookkeeping.net Greenshoots Financial Services Ltd Jason Sweeney 01506 537111 info@greenshootsfinancial.com www.greenshootsfinancial.com

LCD Coaching & Consultancy Ltd Linda Dick 07484 333649 linda@lcdconsultancy.co.uk www.lcdconsultancy.co.uk Mear Technology Ltd Stephen Mears 01506 668613 accounts@meartechnology.co.uk www.meartechnology.co.uk NDR Consultants Ltd Nick Robertson www.ndrconsultantsltd.com

Harper Macleod Jamie Watt 01312 472510 info@harpermacleod.co.uk www.harpermacleod.co.uk

Omnia Caroline Haywood 01142 792840 www.omniaoffices.com

Heat Solutions Steven Keay 07825 599388 heatsolutionsscotland@outlook.com

Sarco Stopper Bill Menzies 01506 855824 www.sarcostopper.com

indigospring (Scotland) Ltd Morag Davidson 01506 668674 enquiries@indigospring.co.uk www.indigospring.co.uk

Scottish Qualifications Authority Janice Anderson 01415 611070 www.sqa.org.uk

Kidd Insurance Services Ian Kidd www.kiddinsurance.co.uk

Viju Group Ian Wallace 01313 061000 Edinburgh@vijugroup.com www.vijugroup.com

connect business

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

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newmembers

Midlothian and East Lothian Affordable Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services Steve McKenzie 0131 5102889 info@a4double.co.uk www.a4double.co.uk Bookkeeping services

Earth Self Ltd Tabi Jayne / Lyn Man 07564 777 509 earthtabi@earthself.org www.earthself.org A nature-centred approach to organisational management

Oven Wizards Mike O’Neill 01578 722154 mikeoneill@ovenwizards.com www.ovenwizards.com Domestic Oven and Aga Cleaning Specialists

Buccleuch Arms Rachael Hamilton 01835 822243 rachael@buccleucharms.com www. buccleucharms.com www.buccleucharms.com Historic privately owned hotel specialising in food, drinks, accommodation and functions

Gary Meikle Consultant Gary Meikle 07831 211538 gary.meikle@blueyonder.co.uk Business Consultant

Strathesk Resolutions Malcolm Currie 07736 068787 malcolm@strathesk.co.uk www.strathesk.co.uk Mediation, Training, expert guidance & Support

Candid Media James Walter 07796 445 753 james@candidmedia.biz www.candidmedia.biz PR & Marketing Colin Wright Photography Colin Wright 07752 135055 colinwrig1@yahoo.co.uk www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk Photographer Dangerous Studio Ltd Brendan Reilly 0131 4632080 amy@dangerousstudio.com www.dangerousstudio.com Creators of animated video content for marketing

spring2016

Glenavon Insurance Ltd Scott Downie 0131 443 2971 scott@glenavoninsurance.com www.glenavoninsurance.co.uk General Insurance broker, Commercial and Property based insurances National Mining Museum Scotland Mhairi Cross 0131 663 7519 ceo@nationalminingmuseum.co.uk www.nationalminingmuseum.co.uk A museum relating to the mining industry and a venue for education activities and exhibitions

The Key Place Linda Bendle 01968 874601 letting@thekeyplace.co.uk www.thekeyplace.co.uk Letting Property Thomas Cleaning Honor Thomson 01875 309012 honor@thomascleaning.co.uk www.thomascleaning.co.uk/eastlothian Cleaning Service

Oliver Asset Management Graham Jamieson 0131 273 5202 graham@oliverassetmgmt.co.uk www.oliverassetmgmt.co.uk Wealth Management and Financial Advice

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membercloseup

MEMBER CLOSE-UP

Archie Meikle

Company Name Thomas Haywood Aerial Photography Name: Thomas Haywood Position: Director and Pilot-in-Chief Website: www.thomashaywood.com

What are the main activities of the business?

Aerial Photography and Videography using drones Are you enjoying what you do every day?

Absolutely! There is no point in running your own business if you are not passionate about what you do!

As a business person, describe your three main qualities?

I am a people person (I make clients feel valued), I have an eye for a photograph, and I am a good business networker.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Getting my commercial flying licence for drones (PFAW) and filming for the BBC What do you see as jour job’s biggest challenge?

I cannot fly in rain or winds over 22mph which can lead to frustration if you have a backlog of clients waiting for their project to be filmed. Also the technology is young, so we are constantly having to invest in new equipment to keep up with demand.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Working co-operatively with other drone pilots as a long established operator.

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

I should have been more assertive about where I wanted to be today.

What is your favourite way to unwind?

Umpiring Baseball, Cycling, Volunteering for www. outdoorlads.com & socialising with friends If you could choose anyone, who would be your fantasy dinner party guests and why?

A small group of professional MLB baseball umpires so we could talk baseball and officiating.

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

Be assertive, look after your customers and have a vision where you want to go.

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Are you enjoying what you do every day? Absolutely!

There is no point in running your own business if you are not passionate about what you do!

spring2016

advertorial

Level the playing field In today’s global market, both large and small businesses are increasingly competing against one another. And it is technology that is helping this mid-market to level the playing field; enabling them to offer more to the consumer and gain parity in many important areas.

Technology advancements such as cloud systems, enhanced security, and remote working mean that small businesses can project their efficiency, resulting in a team more effectively competing with larger businesses. These innovations give SMEs access to the much needed resources and tools used by their global sized competitors.

Never before in business has this level of equality been available for SMEs, and one of the most instrumental ways this can be achieved is through the use of an effective and integrated CRM system.

By using a good CRM system, like OpenCRM, businesses of all sizes can fully integrate all their company’s data and information from across all of their departments. This will give you a rich, detailed, and all encompassing perspective of your customers, the status of your business and ensures your team is aligned at all times.

A CRM system provides the same tools and templates whatever your size of business, as

spring2016

we all require similar things. You could be a one-man band or a growing team of 20, but the software you require is still the same as the larger corporates.

team can share the same knowledge and expertise to that of the larger company and in many cases entice customers away from them.

Utilising a CRM system can actually result in the smaller companies becoming more connected to their customers. Larger companies often struggle with this crucial personal touch, due to their sheer size.

An effective CRM system enables small businesses to connect with customers and their team more efficiently. Using this real time information means that SMEs now have the same quality of data as the larger firms, but for a lower cost and more emphasis on a connected approach between the small business and its clients, something the larger companies will struggle to achieve.

In SMEs, employees often need to be able to wear a number of hats, picking up a variety of roles within the company. It’s not a bad thing but can cause some stress if they are also having to use a different system for each of these roles. By using a CRM system they can consistently perform all the jobs on their to-do list in one place.

Centralised systems are the perfect way to share information, enabling your team to download, share, communicate, and access data at a moment’s notice, in a safe and secure way.

By implementing a CRM system, small businesses can understand their customers more, analysing their data in the same way as a global corporation would, enabling an SME to grow quicker and expand their customer base at a faster rate.

Levelling the playing field indeed.

If you have any questions about OpenCRM, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Find us at www.opencrm.co.uk or drop us a line at hello@opencrm.co.uk

Graham Anderson, is the CEO and founder of OpenCRM, one of the UK’s leading customer relationship management systems

By working at this same level, whatever the size of business, demonstrates how a small

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