InCommerce Midlothian and East Lothian Issue 4

ISSUE 4 • OCTOBER 2010THE MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

What did you do this summer?

Why it pays to be green

Small business rates relief - it’s not too late

What publicity works?

thistle

We support people with disabilities and health conditions. We rely on donated income to provide our tailored services.And we need your help to continue our life-changing work.

Call us now on 0131 661 9287 to make a difference.

Rachael’s life is for living...

There are lots of interesting things about my life now. We focus on what I like doing, so everything is much more meaningful.”

“

Charity Number SC 016816

www.thistle.org.uk [email protected]

We believe that life is for living

We support people with disabilities and health conditions. We rely on donated income to provide our tailored services.And we need your help to continue our life-changing work.

Call us now on 0131 661 9287 to make a difference.

Rachael’s life is for living...

There are lots of interesting things about my life now. We focus on what I like doing, so everything is much more meaningful.”

“

Charity Number SC 016816

www.thistle.org.uk [email protected]

We believe that life is for living

3MIDLOTHIAN & EAST LOTHIANCHAMBER OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 10

WelCOMe

Our annual awards evening due to be held in November will show that, whatever the level of uncertainty about future trends for the economy as a whole, there are always businesses that thrive. The event will be a celebration of their success, and a broader celebration of the achievements of the private sector in Midlothian and East Lothian, recognizing the jobs that businesses support in our area and the key contribution they make to the local economy.

Talking of celebrations, a birthday will be celebrated that night too. Our partner organisation, Midlothian Enterprise Trust, is 25 this year. In that time the Trust has supported hundreds of businesses in the area and assisted thousands of people to start up a business. This has helped transform our local economy from one dependent on a few large businesses to one based on a wide variety of small to medium-sized businesses.

When it comes to ways to succeed in harder times, businesses could be forgiven for thinking that following a green agenda is not near the top of the list. But the reality is that good environmental management is an excellent way to create efficiencies and make more profit. In this edition we will be looking at how any business can do this, and in this sense there has never been a better time to be green.

Gregor Murray Executive Director

COntents

Welcome ................................................ 3

Editor’s Intro ......................................... 4

Bonaccord Receives Rare Honour ........ 4

Have You Got a Business Buddy? .......... 4

Welcome New Members ....................... 5

Member Round Up .............................6-7

Email – Overworked and Under-utilised Part 2 .........................8-9

What Did You Do This Summer? ....10-11

Introducing Zero Waste Scotland ....... 14

It Pays to be Green .............................. 14

Dalkeith Town Centre Regeneration... 15

Is Your Company Legally Compliant? . 17

Chamber Enterprise Awards .............. 17

An End to the Default Retirement Age .. 18

Tourism Intelligence Scotland – Innovation Through Knowledge .......... 18

Small Business Rates Relief .............. 19

What Would You Do With Your Last £100? ........................................... 19

Simon King Welcomes Two Millionth Visitor to the Scottish Seabird Centre .................................... 21

Ask The Expert .................................... 22

What Publicity Works? ........................ 29

Youth Unemployment – What Can We Do? ................................ 30

Looking After Your Most Valued Asset – Your People! ........................................ 32

AKD Make Hay While the Sun Shines with Solar PV ........................... 32

Consistency in Design ......................... 33

What’s the Point of Coach Supervision? ....................................... 36

Autumn Already .................................. 39

Benefits of Chamber Membership ..... 40

Member to Member Offers ............40-41

Upcoming Chamber Events ................ 46

When it comes to ways to succeed in harder times, businesses could be forgiven for thinking that following a green agenda is not near the top of the list.

INCOMMERCE is published by InCommerce Ltd. Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club, Rhu, Helensburgh G84 8NG. Telephone 01436 821501. Fax 01436 820028. E-mail: [email protected].

Edited by Laura Socha, Chamber Manager, Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce, 42/3 Hardengreen Business Park, Dalhousie Road, Dalkeith, Midlothian EH22 3NU Tel : 0131 654 1234. Email: [email protected]

INCOMMERCE is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed nor copied wholly or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The proprietors of this magazine are publishers and not agents, or sub-agents of those who advertise therein. They cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information contained within this publication.

The views expressed by authors of articles published in this magazine are solely those of the author and are not necessarily the views of or shared by the editor, the publisher or the directors, shareholders and/or employees of InCommerce Ltd or Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce.

For advertising contact D-Tech: T: 01436 821438 E: [email protected] editorial contact editor: Laura Socha T: 0131 654 1234 E: [email protected]: InCommerce LtdDistribution: D-Tech Distribution

Our Corporate Partners

Front cover – Environmental Placement Programme student, Iain Buchanan, who worked with Yooz (a subsidiary of Active4all).


It’s been a busy few months for the Chamber.

As well as hosting a number of rewarding events we have also delivered a number of joint networking initiatives. We had a highly successful curry event at Itihaas with the Federation of Small Business, a super joint networking lunch at Jewel & Esk’s training restaurant with both the Borders and West Lothian Chambers and a very informative joint gathering with the Green Business Network at EAE Distribution’s warehouse.

In fact the joint events have become so popular we have several lined up for the autumn and winter events calendar.

Our combined events with the Green Business Network has also opened businesses eyes to the benefits of greening their business and we have a number of new courses lined up for businesses who are just starting their green journey or for those who are ready to take that extra green step. You can read all about how students have been helping some of these companies deliver their green projects too.

I hope you enjoy dipping in to this quarter’s InCommerce and, as always, thank all of you who have contributed articles or placed advertisements.

Laura Socha Chamber Manager

editOrs intrO

BOnaCCOrd reCeives rare hOnOur

have yOu gOt a Business Buddy?

Local intellectual property expert, Patricia Barclay of Bonaccord (www.bonaccord.eu) has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Association Foundation, a rare honour for a non US lawyer.

Ms Barclay is the only Scots Fellow. After a successful career in industry culminating in heading up the legal departments of two multinational pharmaceutical companies, she opened Bonaccord to offer cost effective and pragmatic support to young inventive companies who benefit not just from her legal expertise but also from her global contacts. Speaking of the award she said

“I am thrilled to be recognised in this way. It is a great endorsement for a small firm showing that you can get world class quality without going to a huge law firm. There are many wonderful boutique businesses in Scotland and I would urge people to look around and not always go for the “High St brand””.

Having trouble achieving the goals you set? Get a business buddy. Whether the goals you want to achieve are personal goals, business goals, or a combination of both, a business buddy can be your key to success. An added bonus is that you are each other’s business buddy!

A business buddy provides motivation.

He or she will help you stay on track as you work towards your goals.

A business buddy provides accountability.

Being accountable to another person brings out our best efforts.

A business buddy increases our determination.

Having a business buddy gives us the staying power we need to accomplish our goals.

We are matching business owners from Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian or the Borders to companies in a different region. As well as achieving goals, you can learn about how your market sector is fairing in a different region.

Email [email protected], request the Business Buddy application form and grow your network across the regions.


Welcome to our New Chamber MembersBizini Bizini is a membership organisation using facilitated

networking – we maximise your networking success.Issy Warrack 077 9893 6687 [email protected]

www.bizini.co.uk

Brewin Dolphin Tax planning & affordable pension planning. Investment management, financial planning.

Jeffrey Gash 0845 213 1010 [email protected]

Black White & Red All Over

Award-winning integrated Creative/Art Director with a book full of campaigns for leading brands

Alan Kittle 07732 148 280 [email protected]

Create The Future I use my extensive experience of coaching and supervision to work with coaches like you, offering support, evaluation and advice to help you to be the best coach you can be.

Richard Andrews

0131 561 6283 [email protected]

Cunningham Financial Services

Independent Financial Adviser specialising in pensions Nicol Cunningham


First Potential Professional and personal development. Helping you and your organisation to achieve outstanding results with our Focus Your Mind Framework.

High Street Property Management

Property lettings, management and refurbishment Nikki Paton 0131 440 4068 [email protected]

International Markets Analysts Ltd

Mitigating Risks Maximising Opportunities - marketing and export/import China advice

Susan Carpenter


Itihaas Restaurant Finest Indian & Bangladeshi restaurant Matin Khan 0131 663 9800 [email protected]

Pat Laing - Payroll & Bookkeeping

Payroll & Bookkeeping Pat Laing 0131 335 0400 [email protected]

Positive Action Club Solution based workshop for business leaders Alan Crockert 0141 248 2076 [email protected]

Productive Production Ltd

Print specialist Jamie Mackay 07875 844723 [email protected]

Seton Design Ltd Seton are a boutique branding consultancy with a team of experienced designers working for clients in the consumer and corporate sector. Services range from brand creation, brand identities, exhibitions, printed literature, websites and social media.

Andrew White 0131 510 0308 [email protected]

Speaking Lives Unique personalised Life Interviews recorded on gold auality audio CD to celebrate a person’s life.

Anne Reid 0131 220 6499 [email protected]

The County Hotel Situated in the heart of Dalkeith ‘The County Hotel’ is a striking building dating back to 1940. The County Hotel is a true delight, a friendly, welcoming, real Scottish hotel of magnetic character and charm.

Chris Winson 0131 663 3495 [email protected]

Yellow Magnolia Press

Book publishing Dr Jacqueline McDonnell



MeMBer rOund up

Award Winning Architects Establish New Practice In East Lothian

Having spent a number of years commuting daily from East Lothian to their practice’s office in Edinburgh, award winning architects, Alan Robinson and Allen Whitehead, made the decision to set up their new practice of robinson.whitehead architects nearer home, opening a design studio in a converted mill in the historic village of Tyninghame in the heart of East Lothian.

Both have extensive experience in every sector of the building industry having previously worked with several leading architectural practices, most recently as directors of a top Edinburgh practice, where they were responsible for several award winning and high profile competition winning designs, such as the mixed-use development Saltire Court in Castle Terrace which includes the internationally famous Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and an innovative energy efficient office building at the prestigious Edinburgh Park business park and, most recently, an award winning teaching building for the University of Dundee. Their broad experience has enabled them to offer a design-led but practical architectural service for all types and scale of projects. ‘While our hands-on approach is ideally suited to smaller scale domestic projects ’ Allen said, ‘we are still continuing our work on larger scale buildings both at home and abroad. We have been able to maintain a good balance of projects as well as achieving a better life/work balance’. ‘Based in Tyninghame’ he adds, ‘we are able to provide a top class service for householders and businesses in East Lothian and Midlothian while at the same time, with modern day electronic communications, we are able to work on projects virtually anywhere’. The projects the practice is currently working on bear this out: projects across the Lothians and Borders, including a new residential building for a care home in Garvald ; across Scotland and as far afield as the south of Spain, with a stable complex, and Gibraltar, with a data centre and office development’.

The practice is also able to offer CDM Coordinator services and also a Health and Safety consultancy service to building contractors. Contact Alan Robinson on 01620 861985 for more information.

Spice up your leisure time

Jewel & Esk has launched a brand new programme of leisure courses to put a sparkle into your evenings. Stop by after work to learn a new skill and discover something new. Make your own films, create a stained glass panel, hone the skills to decorate your home or cook the perfect Christmas spread.

Check out our full leisure programme, call 0131 344 7444 for more details or to book.

Speak about yourself, your life and your views

People and places, you don’t want to loose

Everyone’s memories, they’re precious and unique

Anne will help prompt you, and record as you speak

Keep you on track, from your earliest days

Including your childhood, and those bygone ways

Next come your teens, school friends and exams

Growing up and working, your hopes and your plans

Loved ones and friends, that you met on the way

Included in 3 hours, just the way you say (it)

Voices help people, remember how you were

Edited on a CD, and presented to share

Sit back in your armchair, relax and enjoy

Chat about your life, no need to be coy

Our service is unique, and your life is too

My name is Anne Reid, it would be a pleasure to meet you.

Find out more : [email protected] or mob: 0785 447 9261

Have you got a story to tell?

So what is a Life Interview? How does it work? - well, here’s a wee poem based on the pneumonic SpeakingLives.com that might help you understand .......


MeMBer rOund up

Focus Your Mind for Peak Performance with First Potential

Would you like to achieve results that take you and your business beyond what you thought was possible? Your mindset is your greatest natural asset. Even working to improve on all the other factors combined that may influence your success, unless you Focus Your Mind, true sustained success will remain elusive.

Steve Davies, six-times World Snooker Champion, mastered the art of ‘playing as if it means nothing when it means everything’. He could eliminate thinking patterns, emotions and behaviours that prevented peak performance whilst applying his innate strengths, skills and talents with true clarity, purpose and trust. What made the difference, he says, is that he wasn’t over-thinking his game. “It’s amazing – if you can play without thinking, you can achieve better than you thought possible because you’re not living in the past or the future.”

Did you know that you have approximately 100,000 thoughts per day? Our thoughts are often pinging back and forth between past regrets and experiences to anxieties and fears about our future. It’s incredibly stressful! If doubts do start to crowd in, a fantastic tip is to think ‘W.I.N’ and ask yourself, ‘What’s Important Now?’. By focusing on the present, you are effectively taking control of your conscious mind and this will significantly increase your probability of success!

All learning, behaviour and change is ultimately taken care of by your unconscious mind. The root-cause reasons for anxiety, fear of failure or self-doubt, for example, are often ‘hidden’ in the unconscious part of the mind. This can make it difficult to know how to reverse seemingly uncontrollable and overwhelming thoughts and feelings yourself. You can achieve the results you want by simply upgrading the quality of your thoughts. Take time out to invest in you – it’s always worthwhile!

Copyright Rachel Calder 2010

Rachel Calder, Director of First Potential, is a specialist in mind-body therapies and performance coaching and creator of the leading-edge Focus Your Mind ™ Framework. Seeing people in terms of their future potential (and not their past performance) is at the heart of successful, creative and powerful transformation. This is what we do, so that you achieve more than you previously thought possible. www.firstpotential.com to find out more.

The Yellow Magnolia Press is a small new publishing house, recently set up by Dr Jacqueline McDonnell, who used to be Chairman of the Friends of Midlothian’s Children and in 2008 was presented with a “Local Business Hero” award, through the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce, for her charity work.

Jacqueline had two books published previously: “Waugh on Women” (Duckworth 1986) and “Evelyn Waugh” (Macmillan 1988).

Jacqueline intends, through the Yellow Magnolia Press to publish small books specialising in life-changing stories that will inspire other people to overcome life’s difficult problems.

“The Wacky World of Widowhood A Survival Guide to Living Successfully after the World seems to End” by Jacqueline McDonnell is the first book to be published by the Yellow Magnolia Press and is being launched in October at Ikea.

50p from the sale of each book will be donated to Midlothian Sure Start, a charity that supports families with very young children in Midlothian. Jacqueline is an Adviser to the board of Midlothian Sure Start and Ikea has been raising funds for the charity in 2010. The launch of the book at Ikea supports the store’s fund raising activities for Midlothian Sure Start.

The Yellow Magnolia Press will be running a writing competition for their second book, which is to be an anthology of inspiring stories from single parents. The details can be found on the website, which is being designed and will be up and running in October: www.yellowmagnoliapress.co.uk In the meantime, Jacqueline can be contacted at [email protected]

The Yellow Magnolia Press


Many thanks for all the feedback we received for the first part of this article in the June 2010 issue of InCommerce. For all those who are gluttons for punishment here’s part two.

If you missed the first part of this article you can read it on our blog at www.studio9scotland.com/blog.

This time I’d like to give you an insight into some of those little email annoyances that drive me nuts and that we’ve all come across at some time or another. Even if you take a fairly casual approach to emails there are still a few do’s and don’ts that everyone should adhere to so that the people you’re sending them to stand a chance of wanting to open and then read them – otherwise, what’s the point?

Subject to it being interesting

If your email in-box is as full as mine every morning then, like me – and many others I suspect, you probably scan the subject lines for the most relevant or interesting looking ones before you go to the others. Quite often the ‘others’ don’t get read (or deleted) until later in the morning when there’s more time. So, if you want your emails to get read first, make the subject lines either very relevant or extremely interesting. Oh, and what’s with the blank subject line emails? I don’t even bother to open those – straight into the bin.

Avoiding the junk folder.

Blank subject lines are one way to make it to the junk or deleted folder but there are others. Very often quite innocent emails get flagged as spam by people’s email clients and end up with a one-way ticket to the bin. Sophisticated email clients will often pick on words, or phrases, which, in the context of your email, are quite innocent but if they appear on its internal naughty list, your message will be history.

So, what can you do? Not that much unfortunately, however, if its a persistent problem with only one or two recipients then just call and ask them to put you on their email ‘safe’ or ‘white’ lists. The simplest way to do this on most programs is to put the offending incoming email address into the program’s address book.

Are you into email marketing and regularly send out to a large list? In this case if you’re messages are constantly being rejected, you could try using one of the online email marketing programs which have built in spam checkers such as www.mailchimp.com or www.aweber.com. These will check your messages for deliverability before you send them and tell you if there are any problems.

Test your emails and avoid playing Scrabble at the other end?

The worst emails I receive are those that look like a 5-year old produced them (no insult intended to 5-year olds) because the sender has never bothered to see what their emails look like at the other end.

Now, you may be saying, “Come on Jon, I’m not going to test every email before I send it – that’s just daft”. I’m not suggesting you do, but test a couple now and again by sending them to people on different PC’s with different email clients and ask for their feedback. This might not be a problem with personal emails but in business you must do this – at least once.

The problem arises when you use tabs and spaces to format the content of emails to create tables for figures –sending a quote by email for instance – and everything looks dandy at your end. Unfortunately, the recipient is using a different email client with a different font and at a different size so all that careful formatting you took hours over is completely lost. Instead of impressing your customer, you end up sending a jumbled mess that annoys them rather than selling your product or service. Attachments are a better option in this instance.

Email – Overworked and Under-utilised Part 2

http://www.mailchimp.com

http://www.mailchimp.com


At the very least…

Spell check your emails! All Email clients these days include a spell checker – use it! Also, I know you like to practice your text-speak skills via email but I’d rather be able to understand what you’re trying to say. Oh, and did I mention spell checking?

Please – break the chain

Now we come to one of my favourite pet hates – daisy chain emails. They start out simple enough – you send someone an email… and they reply. Their message comes back and automatically below their message is a copy of your one. You reply… and below the new message automatically is a copy of the previous two messages and then they reply… with copies of… well, I think you get the picture. In an email conversation, its not long before there are any number of old messages trailing behind. This feature is useful for tracking a conversation but after a few dozen replies it becomes extremely difficult to track anything – especially with all the intervening junk the emails automatically insert between each message.

Every so often – break the chain with a fresh email. Incidentally, have you ever printed one of these emails out late in the conversation and forgotten to specify just the first page? War and Peace ring any bells? Not very green!

Email confidential

Beware also the contents of some of those previous emails especially if it has been CC’d from someone else’s ‘chain’. I’ve been privy to some very interesting and useful information that I know the sender would prefer I had not seen because of this (Don’t be silly – of course I’m not going to tell you what it was).

[email protected]

Does your business send out anonymous emails? “Of course not”, you say but are you so sure. We frequently receive quotes or electronic proofs via email from printers. These very often come from people we don’t normally have any contact with other than by email but for some reason they tend not to sign their emails with a name. As I write this I have just received an email containing proofs from a rather large Scottish printer which has no subject line, no contact name, no call to action and came from an email address entitled [email protected] – and this from a company which is ISO 9001-2000 accredited! Give people someone to respond to.

I hope you enjoyed this short article and please, don’t take it too seriously. If you would like to read more business articles like this please go to our website at www.studio9scotland.com and sign up for our regular bulletin and we’ll let you know whenever new ones are posted on our blog.

Jon Dalrymple Studio 9 – Graphic Designers 121 Giles Street, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ T: (0131) 553 1000 W: http://www.studio9scotland.com E: [email protected]

Email – Overworked and Under-utilised Part 2

MY PERSONAL TOP 5 EMAIL GRIPES

A short list of the things that drive me nuts with some emails.

Don’t email me War & Peace! Keeping your 1. emails short and to the point – why do you think Post-It notes and Twitter work so well?

Also, no long email signature and 2. disclaimer messages please – I don’t like having to print out unnecessary pages.

Please avoid text-speak and messages full 3. of abbreviations or acronyms you think I ought to know but probably don’t.

If you must send me emails with large 4. attachments, please send a small one first to let me know what’s coming or to ask if its okay to do so.

And finally… DON’T USE BLOCKS OF 5. CAPITALS – I’M NOT DEAF OR BLIND SO YOU DON’T NEED TO SHOUT – OKAY!

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.studio9scotland.com




The students have been working for a range of businesses that have committed to improve their environmental impacts and performance. And it isn’t always the typical types of “green” jobs you might imagine. Students have been involved with festivals, social enterprise projects to recycle paint and unwanted building materials, producing fine soaps and one entered the world of Manolo Blahniks to help the Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh.

The projects share an environmental theme but were quite diverse – everything from waste management to energy efficiency, carbon management, green marketing and engineering.

Aberdeen University law student, Louise Waddell, opted for her unusual summer job to add new experience to her C.V. and The Big Tent Festival in Falkland, which prides itself on being a green event, was looking to add a more sustainable edge to the festival and to develop their Waste Strategy this year.

Leading up to the weekend of music, arts, family activities and debates on social and green issues, Louise worked with Falkland Stewards, organisers of the Big Tent event, for eight weeks. She focused on substantially reducing the amount of waste which would go to landfill from the event and producing and implementing a strategy to make this happen.

During her placement Louise, who is keen to pursue a career in environmental protection and preservation, liaised with a number of sources including Fife Council and CORE to arrange for waste removal and composting options at the Festival. As a result of her work, over 2,200 cans and in total around 3,000kg – about the weight of two adult hippos – were diverted from landfill, around twice as much as last year and bringing both environmental and financial savings.

Louise was thrilled with her placement at Falkland Stewards. She says of the opportunity ‘I was keen for a challenge over the summer, and wanted non-legal business experience to build on my C.V and help me decide where I want to take my career in the future. EPP was perfect. It has clarified that I do not want a conventional solicitor job. After this placement, I know that I am searching for a dynamic, challenging job which involves working more with people than with books.’

Falkland Stewards are also very happy with Louise’s placement and are celebrating another successful Big Tent Festival. The company is sure that due to Louise’s hard work, along with a host of volunteers at the event, the ‘green’ outcomes of the Festival will be even better than before.

Students Iain Buchanan and Sarah Groom were involved with projects for Yooz and Active4all. Yooz is a fast growing social enterprise in East Renfrewshire, which works closely with Active4All and recovers unwanted building materials. It has a large stock of plastics used by civil engineering companies which typically goes to landfill. As the market in Scotland for reclaiming such plastic is in its infancy, Yooz is hoping that Iain’s project will help to develop a recognised path for recovering and processing these plastics. He spent the summer identifying the volume and types of plastics sent to landfill from major civil engineers works throughout Scotland.

Meanwhile, Sarah Groom worked with Active4All, a charity whose main aim is to develop the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for people with disabilities. The centre will be built using unwanted surplus new materials from building sites throughout the UK. Sarah’s project involved working with the various organisations that come under the Zero Waste Scotland umbrella and a major building contractor to create a case study that can be used by construction companies throughout the UK – potentially saving thousands of tonnes of materials.

What do most students and new graduates spend their summers doing? Travelling... working in a cafe... looking for a job? Going to festivals is a typical summer pastime for most students, but few choose to just clear up at them instead. Law student, Louise Waddell, 23, from Glenrothes did just that and immersed herself in enough rubbish at The Big Tent Festival in Falkland, to match the weight of two adult hippos! And she’s not alone. For 60 of Scotland’s brightest students and graduates this summer has meant gaining work experience through the Environmental Placement Programme, which, for many, will add valuable credentials to their CVs and mentoring and business contacts, too.

What did you do this Summer?

10


Ian Strachan from Active4ALL said, “The Environmental Placement Programme has yet again provided the chance for innovative progress being made in how Scotland deals with waste and resultant reductions in carbon emissions. From this placement, I believe Scotland leads the way in which we handle so called waste building materials and I hope politicians will take cognisance of the excellent work done by Sarah.”

Hotel Missoni Edinburgh is one of a new genre of life and style hotels developed in partnership with the iconic Italian fashion house of the same name. This summer the hotel has taken on student Bernadette Moloughney to achieve the Green Tourism Business Scheme – Gold Level for the hotel. They are also keen to drive the hotel’s unique Responsible business plan for the year forward which includes several tasks such as organizing community projects, designing and maintain the “green board”, training and motivating staff to

help reach green goals, monitoring and encouraging recycling, encouraging and monitoring water and energy conservation and keeping guests informed about green initiatives.

Louise Evison, who runs the EPP programme says ‘We have 60 students on placement across Scotland this summer and every example highlights the amount they can achieve for their host companies in a short space of time. It is an opportunity for both students and companies to have a positive impact on business success, the environment and up-skilling the workforce of tomorrow’.

All the summer placements were arranged through the Green Business Partnership’s Environmental Placement Programme (EPP), which the First Minister, Alex Salmond, has described as ‘a win, win situation”. Last year’s Placement Programme clocked up an impressive £3 million of new sales identified, £900,000 of

savings identified, 9 new jobs, 15 new customers and 28,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill. And all in just eight weeks!

A further challenge to the placements invites the students take part in a competition to win the title of Most Enterprising Environmental Student 2010. The culmination of the programme is the National Award Ceremonies where winners and runners up from the regional heats deliver a four minute presentation to their fellow students, host companies and a panel of judges. The Awards are supported by the Scottish Government and sponsored by the Federation of Small Business and Teradata.

What did you do this Summer?

11

If you are interested in finding out more about the EPP programme, taking on a student or sponsorship opportunities please contact Barbara Schweitzer-Thomson on 0131 561 6276.

Regional Final at Edinburgh City Chambers.

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IN just six years James Lenaghan’s business has become a leading light in the provision of electronic retail management systems for clients in Scotland and across the UK.

Managing director, James, studied Information Technology at college and worked in the industry from the mid 1990s before becoming a Microsoft Certifi ed partner with his company RMS in 2004. Since then the business has gone from strength to strength supplying computer-based Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) till systems which use Microsoft Dynamics Retail software.

He talks to InCommerce about his business.

What does RMS do?

We work with companies from Edinburgh and the Lothians to as far afi eld as the Seychelles, though most of our business is in the UK. Our customers are retailers of various sizes from single store, single till, owner-managed to multi-store national companies. We help retailers in fashion, hardware, mobile phones, food, garden centres and department stores to name but a few. Wholesale is another growth area for us – we have a number of Asian and Chinese cash and carry businesses in our portfolio.

What is a retail management system?

Our software tracks your sales, stock and customers so you can analyse effectively what items are selling, your stock position and who is buying from you. It is also the hub for website integration, including Amazon and eBay, so retailers no longer need to have separate product fi les for each part of their route to market. Our system allows you to analyse sales data from one database which saves time and effort gathering this information.

What are the benefi ts?

We help businesses control stock, keep a close eye on margins and build customer loyalty. Our software and our hardware enables retailers to become more effi cient and therefore more profi table. The reporting data that the system provides allows retailers to look at how long stock has been sitting on their shelves, and helps them to decide what to do with it. This detailed reporting is in real time and only a few clicks away.

How do you work with retailers?

We look at each project on its merits and, in most circumstances, one of our specialists will engage with our client to undertake a scoping exercise. We look closely at procedures and processes within the business and give feedback to the client by way of a detailed report. Where change has to take place, we sit down with all the various stakeholders and work out the best solution.

We can hold a series of workshops with staff to check workfl ow and ensure the system meets operational requirements. This is also an excellent forum for staff to preview the system and iron out any kinks prior to formal training and going live. We don’t sell on price, priding ourselves on the quality of our service and support that we deliver on a day-in-day-out basis. We believe in being totally transparent about what it is we can and can’t achieve for our clients.

We always try to go the extra mile and exceed our client’s expectations where possible.

What about back up and after sales service?

After-sales service and support are equally important to both us and our clients. Having delivered a fi rst class system, keeping it running smoothly is essential as our clients expect us to maintain the functionality and effi ciency of the system. Regular routine maintenance and health checks help prevent against surprises and keep the system up to date. Our customer service desk is there seven days a week if customers need us in an emergency.

«

«

«

«

«RMS GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

RMS Scotland Ltd, Ettrick Riverside, Dunsdale Road, Selkirk TD7 5EB Tel: 08458333767 • [email protected] • www.rmspos.co.uk

We know that Business Owners and Managers worry; they worry about people being happy at their work, worry about con� icts between people in their team and occasionally worry that a relationship is breaking down and legal action could be on the horizon.

At Simple HR we can prove that working with us will make you more pro� t.

Our clients enjoy peace of mind from knowing that expert advice is only a phone call away, and that the money spent on the employees is an investment not a cost.

To start enjoying peace of mind and improved pro� tability email [email protected]

“Simple HR are a highly professional team with a wealth of knowledge and experience in their � eld and all general management areas. They are a pleasure to work with and provide a � rst class service.”Alastair Coulter, Managing Director, Slumberdown

“I have worked with Simple HR for over 3 years and have found them to be a breath of fresh air within the HR industry. They have a very strong working relationship with all of their clients which means they fully understands their needs.”Gordon Brown, Senior Consultant Recruitment Zone.

“We have avoided having to speak to any employment lawyer since working with Simple HR for the last 6 years”Managing Director, Castle Computer Services

“I have worked with Simple HR a lot over the last few years. They are masters in the � eld of HR and will help any business cope with the challenges that are presented.”

James Macsween, Macsween Haggis

ACT NOWEquality Act 2010

The biggest change to discrimination legislation since 1974 comes into e� ect

in October.

One of the changes is that asking questions related to a candidate’s health during recruitment is potentially unlawful, and could leave recruiters exposed.

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email [email protected] 01506 858729look www.simplehr.co.uk

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it pays to be green

Many businesses are feeling the effects of the recent recession as well as increasing energy prices and fluctuating oil costs. All these factors have major effects on businesses, especially small companies. One way to survive these difficult times is to reduce costs and become more efficient. Considering your environmental impact not only benefits the planet, managing resources, such as water, waste and energy, more effectively can result in significant cost savings.

Greening your business not only has the direct effect of reducing costs, but has indirect of attracting new business as a result of improving your green credentials. Increasingly businesses are looking for suppliers with green practices in place in order that can in turn green their business.

There are many no-cost and low-cost ways to reduce the environmental impact of the company and as a result costs. No cost measures could include making sure lights and other equipment are switched off when not in use, fix leaking taps and reuse packaging. Carrying out a simple staff awareness raising session with staff tackling these issues can start to make savings.

Low cost measures might include installing energy efficient lights, to recycle waste and to purchase water and energy efficient products. While there will be a capital outlay initially, there is a wealth of free support available to businesses in Scotland looking to undertake an environmental projects to help with costs.

Support includes grants and other funding to help with renewables projects, interest free loans for energy projects, tax relief on purchasing energy and water efficient products as well as awards, free events to attend, free publications to help with environmental initiatives and free support from government agencies.

The Green Business Partnership, in partnership with Edinburgh City Council, are running free workshops throughout the winter at Apex House, Edinburgh. The aim of the workshop is to show businesses where and how to access support to develop environmental initiative and to start reducing costs. More information and registration information can be found on the following website: www.greenbusinesspartnership.org.uk/events

Zero Waste Scotland is the new programme created by the Scottish Government to support delivery of its Zero Waste Plan. The programme has been created to provide a one-stop-shop for support and advice to individuals, businesses and local authorities in order to help them reduce waste, recycle more and use natural resources more efficiently. It will integrate the activities of WRAP Scotland, Waste Aware Scotland, Keep Scotland Tidy, Remade Scotland, Envirowise in Scotland, NISP in Scotland, and some programmes delivered by the Community Recycling Network for Scotland.

Zero Waste Scotland provides FREE advice and assistance to Scottish businesses to improve their resource efficiency and reduce associated costs. In addition, advice can be provided on legislation, environmental management systems, packaging and eco-design and employee engagement.

This support extends to small businesses and organisations with 50 or less employees, a service which is delivered by the Green Business Partnership on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland. The service provides a range of assistance including telephone support, onsite reviews to identify opportunities for resource efficiency improvement, events and training workshops. Since it began in 2008, over 400 businesses have received support from the service, with potential savings identified of over £2.5 million.

One successful project has been Aberdeen based NCS Survey. NCS Survey is an independent UK survey company providing services to the offshore constriction industry. The review identified that by taking simple steps to reduce waste production through measures such as improving segregation of paper, cans and plastics, the company could save £348 per year in waste disposal costs, diverting 7 tonnes of waste from landfill. In addition, it was identified that by installing a water meter and monitoring water consumption, the business could save around £4,800 each year.

Chris Erni of NCS Survey highlighted that ‘the review helped NCS Survey both reduce and implement improvements in the way we manage and handle our waste. The exercise also improved our general awareness of Environmental issues, and provided a spring board for us to review and update our Environmental Management systems.’ Since the review the company have implemented the recommendations diverting 7 tonnes of waste from landfill and saving the company at least £5,158 per year.

If you would like to benefit from this free programme contact [email protected]

introducing Zero Waste scotland


A partnership scheme to help regenerate Dalkeith town centre was launched back in April and is now attracting interest from residents and traders in the centre of the town.

The Dalkeith THI and CARS will provide £2.5 million over a five year period to improve historic buildings in the town centre conservation area.

The project will include grants to property owners and local businesses for repair and restoration to historic buildings. A number of properties in the town centre have been identified as priority projects and buildings to benefit from grant aid. 1-3 Musselburgh Road, the Cross Keys hotel, The Tolbooth, Tait Street corner buildings, WH Smith and a number of others could benefit from up to 75% grant aid for repair and enhancement work.

The Scheme also includes improvements to the High Street which includes widening footpaths in natural yorkstone paving, providing service and car lay by areas in granite setts and new street furniture together with traffic calming features. Consultations have been carried out with traders in the form of leaflets, exhibition and public meeting.

The project includes a grant for shop front improvements to restore the appearance and commercial vitality of the High Street.

A Shop Front Design Guide is being prepared which will assist businesses in the High Street to design schemes that will restore some of the historic character of the street. An exhibition has been erected in a vacant shop front, No 81 High Street to illustrate the type of improvements that could be grant aided.

Another important element of the scheme is a training plan which will increase education and understanding of traditional building skills using appropriate materials and repair techniques. This will be aimed at building professionals, contractors, historic building owners and the wider community including schools and young people.

dalkeith town Centre regeneration

Dalkeith Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS)

The partnership is between Dalkeith Business Renewal, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and Midlothian Council.

The main aims and objectives of the scheme are to:

Strengthen and enhance the character of the • High Street

Create an improved public realm •

Improve links through the vennels to the High Street•

Upgrade key properties •

Shop front improvement •

Develop education and training•

For further advice and information please contact:

Rod Lugg, Dalkeith THI and CARS Property Manager Dalkeith Business Renewal 11 South Street Dalkeith EH22 1AH

Tel: 0131 660 9862 [email protected]

Cloud computing seems to dominate most current discussions involving new technologies available to business users.

So what is it exactly and how can it help your business?

Cloud computing technology gives you access to a range of business application software and data on the internet – or “the Cloud”.

The information is stored at secure remote computer servers as opposed to having it stored permanently on your server or hard drive.

Accountants Springfords have recognised the advantages to their clients by embracing Cloud technology.

Partner Carol Wright said: “We firmly believe that Cloud computing is the future for accounting. That’s why we have embraced the new technology so quickly.

“We also listen to our clients and so recognise that there are changes in the way our clients do business.

“There is also an increasing demand for secure and readily accessible access to office files from remote locations.

“In addition, in today’s economic climate, new businesses are looking for ways in which they can reduce the initial capital outlay on computer hardware and software costs.

“Therefore, an on-line accounting system that offers a pay as you go monthly subscription model is an attractive option.”

Ms Wright added: “We have reacted quickly to what our customers tell us they need by offering two new services.

“One is an on-line accounting package called Liquid which has all the features of the traditional desktop, buy-in-the-box accounting software. You only need a low cost PC and broadband connection.

“No expensive servers or licence fees are required – just a low cost monthly subscription.

“We can also access our clients accounts remotely so we can offer a much more proactive and efficient service . No trips out to client to sort out bookkeeping problems.

“Our second service is Docsafe where we can offer our clients a personal secure filing cabinet on the web.

“Copies of their important documents, such as their accounts, payrolls and tax returns, can be filed.

“Therefore, those important accounts for the bank manager will only ever be a few taps on the keyboard away.”

Carol Wright Partner Springfords www.springfords.com Tel: 0131 440 5000

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Following the success of last year’s Chamber Enterprise Awards, we are delighted to announce this year’s Enterprise event will take place on 18th November at Queen Margaret University.

Winners will be announced on the night to an audience of 300 local businesses. When not only will we be celebrating local business success stories but also the Enterprise Trust’s 25th anniversary!

Recognised as Midlothian & East Lothian’s premier business awards, the Midlothian & East Lothian Enterprise Awards is a showcase for the organisations that have achieved business excellence in the award categories. These awards are a testament to the talent, drive, achievement and success of local Midlothian & East Lothian businesses. We are justifiably proud of the talent we have here in Midlothian & East Lothian and we welcome this opportunity to reward the enthusiasm and hard work of our businesses.

Who can enter?

ALL businesses located in Midlothian & East Lothian or who are members of the Green Business Network or Mid & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce are eligible. Individuals or organisations may nominate themselves or others in any of the categories.

Why Enter?

Winning a business award can help your business gain media, profile, prestige and attract new customers. Winning an award can also boost the morale and motivation of your staff. The Chamber Business Awards recognise and celebrate companies with a real commitment to excellence, so being named winner is a public recognition of your success.

Who Should Enter?

These awards are intended to recognise locally trading businesses that have demonstrated a continued passion for excellence. If you feel your business has made considerable achievements in the last year and is an effective, well-functioning business, tell us about it!

Last year the winners included a recession-proof pharmaceutical company, Edinburgh Pharmaceutical Processes and graduate Sandrine Sienche from i4 Product Design. The business environment award went to the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick in recognition of their continued best practice.

This year we will celebrate the best in green business, successful business start-ups and young entrepreneurs.

If you would like to enter an award or book a stand on the night contact Laura at [email protected] for more information.

Your chance to shine!

ChaMBer enterprise aWardsIs your company legally compliant and running at maximum efficiency?

Good environmental management is not only the right thing to do but is also good for business, no matter what industry sector you are in. By managing your environmental performance, you can ensure you comply with the growing body of environmental legislation and could gain competitive advantages over those that fail to do so.

Green Business Partnership are running a range of training courses focused on developing and implementing management systems. The majority of courses are either IRCA or IEMA approved and count towards achieving professional qualifications. Courses can also be tailored to meet delegate’s requirements.

All courses are held at: Hardengreen Business Park, Dalhousie Road, Dalkeith EH22 3NU. The venue is easily accessible from the Edinburgh city bypass.

For detailed course profiles visit; www.GreenBusinessPartnership.org.uk

Or to discuss your training needs please contact Claire Guerin; [email protected], Tel 0845 129 4830.

New Quality Manager 2 days | £460* 29th-30th SeptemberThe role of the quality manager and how to develop and maintain a QMS system to the ISO19001 standard.

IEMA Carbon Accounting & Management 1 day | £260* 25th OctoberUnderstand how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions through carbon footprinting.

Integrated Management Systems 1 day | £280* 11th NovemberDifferent approaches to developing an integrated quality, environment & health & safety management system. Overcoming barriers to integration.

OHSMS Implementation 2 Days| £460* 30th November-1st DecemberIntroduction to the principles of occupational health & safety management systems (OHSMS) and the OHSAS 18001 standard. The course covers policy, hazard & risk, legal and other requirements for continuous improvement of OH&S performance and management.

IRCA EMS Internal Auditor 2 days | £460* 18th -19th January 2011Review of compliance audit requirements of the ISO 14001:2004 standard. Plan and prepare for audits. Group exercises are used to gain audit experience.

IRCA Internal QMS Auditor 2 days | £460* 15th-16th February 2011Review the internal compliance audit requirements of the ISO 19001 standard. Plan and prepare for audits. Group exercises are used to gain audit experience.

IRCA EMS Lead Auditor 5 days | £995* 21st-25th February 2011For experienced internal auditors to further their auditing skills and achieve the professional IRCA standard.

OHSAS Internal Auditing 3 Days |£630* 9th-11th March 2011

Learn internal auditing of OHSAS18001 safety management systems. The course covers legislative requirements, risk assessments and the planning and conducting of audits.

*20% discount for Green Business Network and Chamber members.


The Government has announced that it is planning to scrap the default retirement age (DRA) from 1 October 2011. There will be a consultation exercise before any changes are implemented. The current economic climate, and in particular the national debt, is undoubtedly the primary driver behind the decision. Working longer means paying more tax and, in many cases, deferring drawing pension, as a consequence of which the economy benefits.

When will this Happen?Given that an employer must give six month’s notice before requiring someone to retire on the grounds of age, this means that the changes could be felt from 1 April next year, by which date under the current rules, notice would have to be given to employees of the intention to retire them on 1 October, the date on which the proposed change would have effect.

This means that employees who are currently due to retire at age 65 on or after 1 October 2011 will be able to work on beyond age 65, if they wish. Except in a few cases, where a contractual compulsory retirement age can still be justified, employers will not be able to force retirement upon them, as they may presently do, by relying on the DRA and the dismissal procedures set out in s. 98ZD and Schedule 6 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Currently, an employer can require an employee to retire at the age of 65 without paying any financial compensation. In essence, their only obligation is to give notice of the intended retirement of the

employee at least six months before their 65th birthday and where necessary, to hold a meeting with the employee to discuss any request to work beyond that age. At the end of that meeting, it is at the employer’s discretion whether or not to terminate the employment or allow the employee to work on. While a significant number of employers properly consider and grant such requests, many are frankly still ageist. They simply go through the motions and then refuse them. The employee is then retired at age 65, with no recourse.

The Importance of Performance ManagementWith the Government’s decision to abolish the default retirement age, employers will need to consider and possibly re-address their approach to performance management in managing their whole workforce. At present, requests to work beyond age 65 are frequently refused because the employee is perceived to be under-performing, yet no formal or indeed informal performance management of the employee has taken place. Managers are often content to wait for retirement in order to rid themselves on an under-performing older employee.

The removal of the DRA means that the retirement route will no longer be available. Employers and managers will have to look to their performance management procedures as a means of addressing poor performance or ill health amongst the older members of the workforce. Where in dismissing such an employee, an employer is unable to rely on evidence of poor performance or has made no attempt to deal with an employee’s

performance issues, this could lead to a tribunal finding against them on grounds of unfair dismissal and age discrimination.

Act Now Some employers’ organisations appear to fear the proposed changes. However, the removal of the DRA can be easily coped with, if managers actually performance manage their staff, something many of them display a marked reluctance to do. Performance management is a legitimate means of dismissing under-performing employees due to their lack of capability, which is a potentially fair reason for dismissal. Failure to employ such techniques, which are easily taught, means that many managers suffer in silence with under-performing staff, or through reacting inappropriately, end up facing claims of unfair dismissal. Performance management will now be forced upon managers not just in relation to older staff but for the whole workforce. Performance managing only older workers would lead to claims of age discrimination. Given the short lead time available before the DRA is abolished, this sea change in many organisations will have to start now.

Further Information Anderson Strathern LLP undertakes a wide range of employment law and HR training for its clients and others, including training line managers in the use of performance management procedures and techniques.

For further information please contact Alan Masson or Claire Hendry, Anderson Strathern LLP, 1 Rutland Court, Edinburgh EH3 8EY 0131 7700.

an end tO the default retireMent age: perfOrManCe Managing an Older WOrkfOrCe

Tourism Intelligence Scotland – Innovation through Knowledge

With the world changing at a rapid pace, the only thing we can be certain of is more change! With recent trends and attitudes changing significantly due to the economic climate, the strength of the Euro and the desire for escape etc, it’s more important than ever for tourism businesses to keep up to date with the latest intelligence and insights so that they can meet the expectations of today’s visitors.

Tourism Intelligence Scotland, a new initiative developed by the industry in association with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland, offers tourism businesses the opportunity to access, share and understand a range of useful insights and provides a raft of practical hints and tips on how to use this intelligence to get ahead, stay competitive and prosper.

By registering with Tourism Intelligence Scotland you’ll have access to a wealth of knowledge and insights through a broad range of resources, including:

An interactive and user-friendly website where you can find information which will help you develop your business, such as research summaries written in plain English; case studies; best practice stories from the UK and overseas; plus an information exchange, where you can contribute and share your own insights.

Practical guides including “Golf Tourism”, “Listening to our Visitors”, “Scottish Tourism in the Future” and “Walking Tourism” - all packed with easy-to-use intelligence and industry examples.

The ‘Ear to the Ground’ newsletter, which brings the big picture trends to businesses every two months and explains what these mean for you.

Details of conferences, workshops and events - all offering a great way of networking with others and gathering practical hints and tips that you can take back and use in your business.

Getting involved in TIS is easy – simply register at www.tourism-intelligence.co.uk for access to the full range of resources.


What would you do with your last £100?Bill Gates once said that if he was down to his last $100 he would hire a good PR man.

Why? Because PR is a tremendous way to promote your company.

He did, however, emphasise a good PR man. There are thousands of PR people out there so how do you choose?

Simple, as the Meerkat is wont to say. You select the one who YOU think will do the best possible job for YOU.

Remember, public relations is all about reputation. You want somebody who is going to represent your company to the best of his or her ability AND who is going to provide best value. PR lifts your profile so everything you do or say has an impact.

Good professionals use a number of techniques and outlets. They don’t rely on a press release.

Sure, that is part of media relations but you have to know your target market. You don’t try to market a Ferrari to a person who is looking to buy a second-hand banger on ebay. So, do your homework on your PR man and ensure that they become part of YOUR team.

PR is also about lobbying, looking at social networking, promotions, sponsorship and finding the right contacts for you.

It is also about sourcing the right advertising, designers, brand builders and photographers to help boost YOUR business.

PR can also link you with topical campaigns but it shouldn’t be

about the short-term. Working on long-term

strategy derives the best results.

If you get it right you gain a competitive advantage. People immediately know who you are.

Also, PR can provide a massive boost to your employees. Think about it. If you work for a company always in the news would that not give you a lift?

It can help create new markets, significantly boost your bottom line and provide you with a competitive edge.

Remember, all organisations, big or small, local or international, can benefit from hiring a good PR man.

There are a host of opportunities out there for enterprising companies who are willing to give PR a chance. Remember, air time and column inches in the media are free if you know how.

Spending money on PR can be money well spent, especially in a recession.

By Nigel Duncan, PR, marketer, journalist and food critic,

tel: 07836 663058

The number of Scottish small business properties benefiting from various non-domestic rates reliefs has risen by 18 per cent over the last year.

Around 110,500 premises received rates relief in 2009-10 compared with 94,000 in 2008-09, according to new uptake figures published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. These include around 74,000 business properties that paid zero or reduced business rates due to the Scottish Government’s Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2009-10 - up from 64,000 recipients the year before.

The estimated take-up rate for all non-domestic rates reliefs available to eligible small business properties was 85 per cent in 2009-10. Under the SBBS alone, some 63,000 business properties (almost 30 per cent of all non-domestic properties) paid no rates at all last year, and the SBBS also provided discounts for a further 11,000 properties at 50 or 25 per cent of their bills.

Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said:

“The Scottish Government is determined to maintain and bolster the supportive business environment that has already helped tens of thousands of small firms make significant savings in the face of tough trading conditions.

We are determined to build on the success of the Small Business Bonus Scheme and, having increased thresholds and expanded the scheme this year so even more can benefit, the First Minister will write to other businesses that may be eligible for a discount of up to £4,070 under the scheme this year. We

are firmly focused on building economic recovery and strong, sustainable growth. Reducing or removing rates bills for tens of thousands of small Scottish businesses will help them make the strongest possible contribution to that.”

Eligibility for SBBS relief is determined on the basis of rateable value (RV) of all properties within a business. Business properties with an RV of up to £8,000 were eligible to pay no rates at all in 2009-10. For the current year, this 100 per cent relief now applies to properties with an RV of up to £10,000. The threshold for 50 per cent relief was increased from £10,000 to £12,000, and for 25 per cent relief from £15,000 to £18,000.

In addition to the uplift in thresholds, the scheme was expanded from April 2010 to allow a business with two or more properties with a cumulative rateable value of £25,000 or less to qualify for relief of 25 per cent on individual properties with rateable values of up to £18,000.

Other types of non-domestic rates relief include:

Charities relief (including community amateur sports clubs)

Empty property Disabled persons relief Rural rates relief Religious property Renewable energy generators

Any business which considers they may be eligible for SBBS or any other relief should contact their local council to discuss and request an application form.

Small business rates relief

Reduce the burden on family and friends with a Funeral Pre-Payment Plan

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For a brochure, call into or telephone your local Co-operative Funeralcare home at:

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MODERN OFFICE PREMISESFOR SalE / May lEt

• RaNgINg IN SIzES FROM 82 Sq M (883 Sq Ft)

• FlExIblE SPaCE, whICh CaN bE DESIgNED tO SuIt SPECIFIC REquIREMENtS (SubjECt tO COSt/uSual PERMISSIONS)

• hIgh qualIty SPECIFICatION

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NEwhaIlES buSINESS PaRk OlIVE baNk ROaD, MuSSElbuRgh

For inDicative purposes only

Newhailes Business Park provides purpose built modern office accommodation and is designed for companies seeking � exible and attractive space. The development is located off Olive Bank Road to the west of Musselburgh town centre and � ve miles east of Edinburgh city centre.

The units start from 82 sq m (883 sq ft) and are being o� ered on a For Sale / To Let basis.

Further details on quoting terms are available from the sole disposal agents, Knight Frank LLP.

Phase 2 with planning for up to 14,000 sq ft available to purchase as a site or complete development.

















A development byNewhailes Commercial Ltd









Marcus Weurman0131 222 96000777 615 [email protected]

VIEwINg & FuRthER INFORMatIONshould you wish to view the property or require any further information, please contact the sole disposal agents:

Knight Frank llp1 edinburgh Quay133 Fountainbridgeedinburgh, eH3 9QG

[email protected] [email protected]

Important Notice 1. Particulars: These particulars are not an offer or contract, nor part of one. You should not rely on statements by Knight Frank LLP in the particulars or by word of mouth or in writing (“information”) as being factually accurate about the property, its condition or its value. Neither Knight Frank LLP nor any joint agent has any authority to make any representations about the property, and accordingly any information given is entirely without responsibility on the part of the agents, seller(s) or lessor(s). 2. Photos etc: The photographs show only certain parts of the property as they appeared at the time they were taken. Areas, measurements and distances given are approximate only. 3. Regulations etc: Any reference to alterations to, or use of, any part of the property does not mean that any necessary planning, building regulations or other consent has been obtained. A buyer or lessee must find out by inspection or in other ways that these matters have been properly dealt with and that all information is correct. 4. VAT: The VAT position relating to the property may change without notice. Knight Frank LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England with registered number OC305934. Our registered office is 55 Baker Street, London W1U 8AN, where you may look at a list of members’ names.

tERMSour clients are offering the units For sale or to let. Further details on quoting terms are available from the sole disposal agents.

RatEablE ValuEthe property will require to be assessed upon completed occupation.

interested parties should contact the local assessors office for further information.

lEgal COStSeach party will be responsible for their own legal costs incurred in any transaction with the ingoing tenant responsible for stamp Duty land tax, registration Dues and any vat thereon.

Vatvat will be payable on all costs associated with occupation at the prevailing rate.

NEwhaIlES buSINESS PaRk OlIVE baNk ROaD MuSSElbuRgh

NEWCRAIGHALL

NEWHAILES NewhailesBusiness Park

Fort Kinnaird

Newhailes Road

A1

A6095

Newcraighall Rd

A1

Newcraighall Railway StationPark & Ride

EdinburghCity Centre(5 miles)

<

EdinburghCity Bypass(2 miles)

<

Musselburgh(2 miles) <

MusselburghRailwayStation

Olive Bank Road

MusselburghHarbour

QueenMargaretUniversity

M80

M9

M9

M90

M8M80

M73

M74

M8

M74

A697

A68

A77

A77

A80

A8

A811

A71

A71

A702

A7

A1

A68

A92

A91A9

A91

A84

A702

A703

A72

A697A721

A68

A76

A701A77

A78

A71 A71

A76

A70

A82

A82

A78

A737

A73

A7

A91

A90

A85A85

A92

A985 Dalgety Bay

Kirkcaldy

Glenrothes

Helensburgh

Galashiels

Carluke

Ayr

Prestwick

Irvine

Ardrossan

Falkirk

LIVINGSTON

Dumbarton

Dunfermline

St Andrews

Perth

North Berwick

Troon

Cumnock

Dumfries

Wigtown

Newton Stewart

Stranraer

Siloth

LockerbieLangholm

Gretna

Carlisle

Alnwick

Hawick

Jedburgh

Melrose

Haddington

Musselburgh

< Glasgow

Greenock

Paisley

Kilmarnock

East Kilbride

Hamilton

Stirling

Largs

Dunoon

Campbeltown

EDINBURGH

GLASGOW

NEWCASTLE

33a

City Bypass (A720)

particulars Dated: april 2009.

MODERN OFFICE PREMISESFOR SALE / TO LET


Wildlife television presenter and film-maker, Simon King, is pictured with the two millionth visitor to the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, Gemma Cadden, age 8, visiting from Leamington Spa with her family. Simon King has been a keen supporter of the Seabird Centre since before it even opened and during his visit he spent time finding out about the latest developments at the Centre and appearing in the town’s ‘Fringe by the Sea’ festival.

The world’s number one remote wildlife viewing visitor attraction, the Seabird Centre is a major tourism success story and a leading example of sustainable tourism in Scotland. Celebrating its 10th Birthday this year, the five star visitor attraction draws thousands of people to the attractive seaside town of North Berwick. It contributes over £2 million to the economy each year and has played a major part in the revival of the town as a popular tourist destination and desirable place to live.

The Seabird Centre has reported record visitor figures in recent years and, while figures for Edinburgh & Lothian visitor attractions showed a substantial decrease in visitor numbers during key holiday periods this year (for example April 2010, 12% downturn), the Seabird Centre performed well, showing an increase of 6% for the same period and this trend continues, with a 7.5% increase reported in July.

Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive of the award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre comments, “It is a major achievement to have reached our milestone 2 millionth visitor in our 10th year. When we opened in 2000, wildlife tourism wasn’t valued as an important market in Scotland and original projections for the Centre were 60,000 visitors a year. The Centre is now a leader in an important sector – wildlife tourism is generating a net economic impact of around £65 million for Scotland’s economy. Viewing wildlife is the main driver behind over one million trips to Scotland every year - and over half of those are made by UK tourist, helping to support over 2,700 full time jobs.”

“We’ve come a long way in the last ten years and I’m delighted to report that we are now approaching 300,000 visits a year to the Centre and a million visits on our website www.seabird.org. We have provided consultancy for wildlife projects around the world and with the support of over 50 staff, 600 volunteers and 7,000 members, we have engaged with over 60,000 schoolchildren across Scotland and we have been extremely proud to receive 25 awards for sustainable development and tourism, with the ultimate accolade, The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Sustainable Development, presented by HRH The Queen, in person at the Seabird Centre last year.”

“The fact I am most proud of, however, is that we have never faltered from our fundamental values. As an independent charity, we set out to create a sustainable wildlife attraction that would inspire people of all ages to appreciate and care for wildlife and the environment around them in a fun and exciting way, without disturbing the animals. We continue to create innovative ways of engaging with people of all ages to observe and conserve our marvellous wildlife. We were also keen to boost tourism and be a real benefit to our local community. We greatly look forward to the next ten years.”

Simon King Welcomes Two Millionth Visitor to the Scottish Seabird Centre

wildlife tourism is generating a net economic impact of

around £65 million for Scotland’s economy.


ask the expertLocal professionals answer your business-related questions

Q: What are ‘Fit Notes’ and what do they mean to my business?

A: Fit notes will replace a variety of medical certificates from 6 April. They will replace the hospital and GP sick note as well as the ’fit for work’ option. A GP will evaluate a patient with the aim of highlighting what they can do although the doctor may still say the employee is unfit to do anything.

Replacing colleagues is costly and disruptive; a phased return to work, light duties or adaptations to the working environment is a compassionate, commercial and highly effective strategy.

The advice given by the GP is not binding unless the conclusion is that the employee is not fit for work. If no accommodation is possible the employee will be entitled to statutory and contractual sick pay.

- Alistair Williams, Simple HR

Q: What is cloud computing?

A: Cloud computing is the equivalent of buying your electricity from Scottish Power rather than generating your own! For a fixed monthly cost, you get the same functionality as you would running your own server but without the maintenance, patching and fixing headaches since there is no server to run.

This model makes enormous sense for small and medium businesses who want enterprise-grade email, sharing and collaboration but without the price-tag and hassles associated with doing it themselves. Cloud computing means things “just work”.

However, you’re trusting your precious data to someone else so make sure they’re doing back-ups and keeping your data secure. You also need to look at how easy or difficult the provider makes moving your data to an alternate provider.

- Scott McKenzie, Cloudlogic

Q: Why can’t I design my report, brochure, leaflet in Word and give that to my printer?

A: You can - but beware! Design considerations apart, Word documents cause real headaches for printers. Many simply refuse to accept them.

Word is a great business tool but was never intended for producing professionally printed end output – no matter how good your Word skills.

It uses an RGB (red, green & blue) colour model whereas professional printers work with a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow & black (Keyline)) model. Because these are two very different systems, a conversion needs to be done before printing can take place. Colours can change considerably when converted from RGB to CMYK, usually dulling right down

Designers know how to design and prepare files for professional printing. You can save a lot of time and money by letting them do it for you.

- Jon Dalrymple, Studio 9 (Scotland) Ltd

Q: I am buying multiple properties from the same seller. The price for each property is below the nil rate band for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) purposes. The seller has issued one sale contract for all properties. Can I avoid paying SDLT on the aggregate value of the properties by splitting the sale contract into individual contracts for each property? A: SDLT falls to be paid by a purchaser on the total value of all ‘linked’ transactions with the same seller (or parties connected to each). This was formerly the ‘series of transactions’ rule for Stamp Duty.

Stamp Duty was a tax on documents whereas SDLT is a tax on transactions. The intention of the parties here is therefore relevant. Where the reality of the transaction is that it is one whole transaction (i.e. that the agreement between the parties is that the purchase is one ‘job lot’), then the way the transaction is documented is irrelevant. So splitting the numerous purchasers into separate contracts will not result in lower or no SDLT being paid where the reality is that the purchaser would not proceed with one property without the others.

- Deborah Lovell, Anderson Strathern

Q: I have been made redundant and want to set up in competition to my previous employer. Can he stop me?

A: Firstly you need to check your old employment contract to see if there are any restrictions in it. Even if there are, it would still be worth taking legal advice as sometimes contracts contain restrictions that are much broader than the law allows. You then need to consider whether you would want to use anything that you had learned during your employment. There is generally no restriction on using the skills you have learnt but copying recipes or products, for example, or using any information learned in confidence may be forbidden. You should also avoid selecting a name very similar to the other business.

- Patricia Barclay, Bonaccord Ecosse Q: I became aware that as a sole trader, my business could not keep growing if I was the only person working on it. What is the best way of working with a Virtual Personal Assistant? A: Make sure you give your Virtual PA a comprehensive outline of what work needs done. From here you can work out what skills and experience are best used to help with your workload. Agree a ‘Best Practice’ arrangement.

It is best for a Virtual PA to get to know you and your business and how it works. Spending time in the early stages of a relationship is key to making sure things are done correctly, thus minimising errors on work completed.

- Andrea Webb, Distinctive Assistants

The above responses are given in good faith by members of Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce. Neither the Chamber nor the member concerned is responsible for any action taken or omitted as a result.

MidlOthian COunCil

Your Future - Your Choice - Lifelong Learning and Careers FairNearly 100 people “dropped-in” to Dalkeith Library and Arts Centre on Wednesday 25 August looking for information, support and guidance on adult learning and careers from a wide range of service providers.

The event was brought together by new leaf team members Fiona Doyle and Lydia Kerr (PTLM). Visitors to the fair could access 18 services under one roof and a wide range of advice was on tap. From advice on CVs, job application forms and interview skills to volunteering in the community; information about college and university courses to flexible, open and part-time study; as well as funding and financial help for adult learners; learning in the community and dealing with redundancy.

Cllr Russell Imrie, Cabinet Spokesperson for Strategic Services, said: “With representatives from service providers at 18 stalls the event was extremely busy and people were guided through the various options available. It was great that so many people could find out about the wide range of lifelong learning and career opportunities available here in Midlothian.”

Angela, who took time out from her course at MiTech to visit the event and get information about volunteering and youth work said: “I found it was really useful with loads of information for me to take away and think about. I phoned my friend who is looking for exactly this type of advice and told her to come along.”

The stallholders included New Leaf Adult Guidance and Development Service; Job Centre Plus; MALANI; Skills Development Scotland; Community Learning and Development; Mitech; Newbattle Abbey College; Edinburgh Napier University - Progress Through Learning Midlothian; Queen Margaret University; The Open University in Scotland; Jewel and Esk College; Midlothian Council; Remploy; Unison Lifelong Learning; Midlothian Libraries; UNITE; Volunteer Centre Midlothian and Working for Families.

The event was a great success and New Leaf Adult Guidance Service, who organised it are consulting with all those who took part to consider making it an annual event and widening it to include even more partners.

For further information contact the New Leaf Adult Guidance Service on 0131 271 3455 or email [email protected]

ESIF is a consortium of 9 Local Authorities working together to provide loan finance to new and growing businesses. The main aim is to encourage and support the growth of small and growing businesses so that they will in turn be able to contribute to and strengthen the local economy in terms of jobs, growth and wealth.

Businesses with commercially viable proposals may apply. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a funding gap. We are targeting manufacturing and services to manufacturing, tourism, farm diversification and other service based sectors, so we would welcome all enquiries. At this stage, applicants must be limited companies or limited liability partnerships. It is anticipated that the scheme will include sole traders and partnerships in the near future.

The loan funding can be used to assist the purchase of plant and equipment, for the provision of working capital, for the purchase, refurbishment or expansion of commercial property, and for the purchase of a business. Loans cannot be used for speculative property development for sale or lease or to finance private cars.

Loans of up to £50,000 are available to all eligible businesses. The ESIF will reserve the right to seek any form of security where it is deemed appropriate. It will normally operate in conjunction with other commercial lending agencies and applicants must demonstrate that at least 50% of the total funding package is being sourced from the private sector. Interest rates are fixed, currently at 6% for the duration of the term of the loan with the maximum repayment period being 5 years. Consideration will be given for capital repayment holidays on a case by case basis.

Every attempt has been made to keep the application process as streamlined as possible. Applications may be downloaded from the website at www.eastscotinvest.co.uk Completed application forms should be accompanied by a business plan, supported by audited accounts, unaudited accounts or financial statements (where appropriate) and at least 2 year’s detailed financial projections. Forward your application and supporting documents to Jane Crawford, Senior Economic Development Officer, Fairfield House, 8 Lothian Road, Dalkeith EH22 3ZN

If you would like more information or to discuss a possible application, please call Jane Crawford on 0131 271 3427 or e-mail [email protected]

East of Scotland Investment Fund (ESIF) is now up and running

Time is running out to use training funds to suit your needs Midlothian Council’s Skills for Midlothian Businesses (SFMB) project will be coming to an end on the 31st March 2011. Many of Midlothian’s SME and social enterprises have taken advantage of and benefited from the 40% grant available. The next months will be your last chance to use this European funded project to help reduce the costs of training and up-skilling your staff. The training and administration must be completed by the closing date of 31 March 2011.

Aileen Scobie, Staff Development Adviser for the project and her colleague, John Anzani, Business Adviser, Human Resources, have been supporting Midlothian businesses since 2008, advising on training needs and providing free HR support. Now Aileen has been working in conjunction with local colleges and other training providers to deliver cost effective training that will suit your needs. Some specific courses have been identified but the list is not limited to those listed:

Accredited Leadership and Management qualifications SAGE • Hairdressing upgrading skills • Customer Care Business Planning • Report Writing • Minute Taking Digital Audio Typing • Food Hygiene • Time Management • Portable Appliance Testing • First Aid • Financial Record Keeping • Assessors and Verifiers qualifications

Many of these courses can be delivered at “twilight” times (around 4pm to 7pm), which still allows staff to work for most of the day. If, however, you have other training ideas that you feel will meet your needs and help you to gain a competitive advantage, then please contact Aileen and she will be happy to help.

Remember the SFMB project is only available until March 31st 2011 so make sure you use this highly beneficial project quickly, before time runs out!

Tel: Aileen on 0131 271 3350, John on 0131 271 3451 or e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

The East of Scotland Investment Fund has been part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Lowlands and Uplands Scotland 2007-2013 (European Structural Funds) Programmes.

MidlOthian COunCil

The Mark Wright Project – ‘Giving a Helping Hand’

Since opening, the Mark Wright Project, based at Hardengreen Business Park, has welcomed ex-service personnel and their families needing support and assistance in their return to civilian life. The problems which ex-servicemen and their families face are multi factorial ranging across health and wellbeing, education, welfare, housing, benefits, finances, accessing specialist services and employment. However, one of the major barriers is finding suitable employment, and yet overwhelmingly ex-servicemen possess many positive attributes, transferable skills and abilities as well as a sense of pride, self drive and determination.

Helping and supporting ex-servicemen in dealing with their transitional issues and in harnessing their resources is the Mark Wright Project’s ambition. One aspect of this is to provide an innovative approach in helping them stimulate their

entrepreneurial spirit. The Mark Wright Project has helped and is helping a number of ex-servicemen start and develop their own businesses. Notably the support provided to Chris Savage to assist in planning, managing and in securing investment to set up and grow his business, Modular Concrete Systems. This support has helped Modular Concrete Systems to grow rapidly with his business expanding by nearly 700% since it started and employing 5 local people.

A key innovation the Mark Wright Project aims to develop, in conjunction with Modular Concrete Systems and other partners such as Midlothian Training Services, is a training programme specifically designed for ex-servicemen that will enable and equip them to take up new employment opportunities emerging with this and other locally growing businesses.

Supporting ex-servicemen reintegrate into the community brings benefits for everyone, as it not only helps the community tap into the significant resource base ex-servicemen have collectively, but also, and vitally, ensures we honour the terms of the ‘military covenant’ where we, the community, value and show our respect for our ex-servicemen’s commitment to the service of our communities and country.

And where do you come in? The Mark Wright Project is looking for sympathetic employers who will offer placements to ex-service personnel on a training basis initially, with a view to employing on a full-time basis or to providing valuable experience.

For further information please contact Ms Nancy Campbell, Centre Director, the Mark Wright Project- Tel 0131 660 5537 or [email protected]

These may be challenging economic times, but that hasn’t stopped enterprising local resident and war veteran Chris Savage from spotting a promising business opportunity and pursuing it. Financial support from Midlothian Council has helped Chris establish Modular Concrete Systems, a new Lasswade-based construction firm which specialises in concrete fencing and retaining wall systems.

Chris moved to Midlothian recently and noticed the lack of modular concrete fencing in the area. He knew from his experience as a landscaper in England that this was a very popular form of fencing, and decided to set himself up in business as a local supplier.

Chris applied for a start-up loan from Midlothian Council which, combined with support from Poppy Scotland, ensured he had the financing needed to get his new business up and running. Modular Concrete Systems has started production

and is already supplying high-quality modular fencing to local garden centres. The firm is growing and has taken on four new members of staff. Cllr Adam Montgomery, Provost of Midlothian said: “Thriving local businesses are the cornerstone of a healthy economy, and the Council is proud of our track record of support for Midlothian enterprise. We know how challenging it can be to set up any new business – a loan from the Council can often provide the extra finance needed for new ventures to get off the ground. I am delighted we have been able to assist Chris with this loan and I wish Modular Concrete Systems every success.”

Chris Savage, Director of Modular Concrete Systems, thanked the Council for their support and said: “I’m greatly appreciative of the Council’s help in getting my new business started. The whole local community benefits from this kind of helping hand - already I have been able to take on new staff and can look to the future with confidence.”

Business Loans are now available through the East of Scotland Investment Fund. Midlothian Council is a partner in this project. To be eligible, a business must be located in, or relocating to, Midlothian and be locally managed and controlled. For further information about this and other support available for Midlothian businesses contact Jane Crawford (Senior Economic Development Officer) in Midlothian Council’s Corporate Resources Division on 0131 271 3427 or email [email protected]

Council helps lay the foundations for local construction firm

MidlOthian COunCil

Midlothian Council are urging the public to support their local post offices by ‘buying local’ wherever possible. The call was made following a meeting between Midlothian postmasters and senior Midlothian Council representatives to discuss ways of working together to tackle issues of concern facing the Post Office sector.

Cllr Adam Montgomery, Provost of Midlothian, and Cllr Russell Imrie, Cabinet Spokesperson for Strategic Services, attended the working lunch at Council buildings in Dalkeith.

They met with George Thomson, General Secretary of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, Annie McGovern, Consumer Focus Scotland and with local postmasters including Mohammad Sarwar & James Johnstone (Woodburn), Karen McGuire and James Glass (Pathhead) and Robert McCorquedale (Eskbank).

A number of topics were discussed at the meeting, including the network changes and the impact of changes in Government practices, changes in shopping habits and practical measures the Council can take to support the network.

Speaking after the meeting, The Provost said:

“A thriving local post office network is part of the social and economic glue which binds Midlothian communities together. Our post offices are at the heart of local communities - ensuring that residents, particularly those living in rural areas, have access to a number of important services.”

Cllr Imrie said:

“The recent economic downturn has left our post offices facing challenging times. We all have a role to play to support them. As residents we should be sure to ‘buy local’ and take advantage of the wide range of goods and services offered by local post offices. As a council we will be examining what we can do to help our post office network though the downturn.”

Please contact Jane Crawford if you have any feedback or further suggestions. Tel 0131 271 3427 or [email protected]”

Support our local Post Offices urges Midlothian Council

Have You Considered Exporting – contact Smart ExporterHave you never considered exporting? Are you about to take your first steps in the export market? Are you an experienced exporter looking to develop new markets? If so ..... consider contacting Smart Exporter.

Who are we? A collaboration between Scottish Development International and Scottish Chambers International with funding input from the European Social Fund, Smart Exporter is an international trade skills programme designed to increase exporting skills and knowledge for Scottish businesses. Services are free or subsidised for companies and individuals.

What are the benefits? Smart Exporter can increase market awareness, assist development of international strategy, provide technical support and develop strong understanding of target markets. Services include Roadshows and Networking events, market awareness seminars, strategy development through group strategy seminars and international strategy workshops, and training and up-skilling through one-to-one training and specialist support, in-house training, International Preparedness Programme, and Online Diagnostics. Specialist support includes telephone and email support helplines (see contact details below); specialist technical support and International Business Manager for hire.

For more information, call 0800 019 1953, e-mail enquiries @smartexporter.co.uk or have a look at the website on www.smartexporter.co.uk


MidlOthian COunCil

The Midlothian Tourism Forum, along with partners Midlothian Council and VisitScotland, is holding a brainstorming event prior to its AGM at the County Hotel on the 12 October 2010 at 2pm. Tourism businesses and all interested parties will have the opportunity to have their say in developing a new tourism strategy for Midlothian and will be welcomed on the day by Cllr Adam Montgomery, Provost of Midlothian.

This event will kick start an extensive and inclusive consultation exercise involving the private sector, public agencies and community groups. The result will be a new Midlothian Tourism Action Plan launched in 2011 that will determine the tourism related activity to be progressed and likely to receive funding support in the coming years.

The new plan will build on the considerable growth in Midlothian’s tourist sector over recent years and will ensure a fully integrated and vibrant partnership approach at the local level.

Quintin Young, Chair of Midlothian Tourism Forum, extends an open invitation to interested parties to come along and have their say in where we should go with regard to the provision of visitor information, website development, signage, marketing, event and product development.

Anyone interested in attending this event or requiring further information should contact Sandy Macmillan, Economic Development Officer, Midlothian Council on:

Tel: 0131 271 3437

Email: [email protected]

For further information on tourism in Midlothian: www.visitmidlothian.org.uk

A Midlothian Food and Drink Innovation Workshop has come up with some ideas that could be developed to take advantage of the Year of Food & Drink 2010-11.

Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink is the first of 4 Homecoming legacy years supported by the Scottish Government. It runs until May 2011 and we have the opportunity to celebrate and enhance Scotland’s reputation for its own produce, inspiring visitors and locals alike to experience the great food & drink opportunities throughout Midlothian.

The working group, facilitated by Scottish Enterprise, came up with a number of initiatives:

• Directory of Midlothian Food and Drink Suppliers and Providers;

• Midlothian Rotary Club Beer Festival;

• Food and Drink supplement to Newbattle Celtic Festival;

• Development of a local produce hub in Midlothian;

• Midlothian presence at Feast 2011- A regional celebration of Scotland’s Food and Drink; and

• Development of a community event celebrating local produce and health.

Cllr Adam Montgomery, Provost of Midlothian, said, “I hope to see one or more of these initiatives come to fruition in the months ahead. The potential is there to engage with Midlothian Council, Midlothian Tourism Forum, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise to develop a range of local initiatives to benefit local businesses working across the food and drink sector. Midlothian is moving in the right direction with the Sun Inn achieving the award of Scottish Gastro Pub of 2010 and Itihaas being shortlisted in the Scotland and Northern Ireland section of the annual Bangladeshi Caterers’ Association awards. I wish Matin Khan all the best when he attends the award ceremony in London on 10 October.”

The Midlothian Tourism Forum has its own website www.visitmidlothian.org.uk which can be updated with information on local restaurants, food suppliers, and local food producers. If you would like to be featured pass your details to Sandy Macmillan, see above.

Midlothian Tourism Drives Forward

Food for Thought Innovation Workshop

Itihaas, a Dalkeith restaurant established 3 years ago, has been named one of the best Bangladeshi food specialists in the country. It is one of four restaurants shortlisted from the Scotland and Northern Ireland heat of the annual Bangladeshi Caterers’ Association (BCA) awards. Reviews are consistently high.

The UK’s top Bangladeshi restaurants will be presented at an awards ceremony in London on 10 October at a dinner, due to be attended by 1,200 guests, as the climax of the BCA’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Owner, Matin Khan, moved to the UK from Bangladesh in 1984. Matin said the accolade was a tribute to the consistently high quality maintained by his staff.

“The team is committed to setting high standards, innovative and constantly striving to offer impeccable customer service,” he added. “It’s gratifying to have been recognised by experts in Bangladeshi food which is becoming increasingly popular throughout Britain.”

Itihaas, (www.itihaasrestaurant.com) specialises in Bangladeshi and Indian cuisine. “It is an art form which we express with a selection of aromatic dishes using the finest blend of freshly prepared herbs and spices,” Khan added.

The restaurant attracts up to 600 customers a week and employs 15 staff. Mr Khan is a well known figure in the local community, a major sponsor of many sports, social and other clubs in and around Midlothian and assisted a class of local schoolchildren doing a project on Bangladesh by inviting the whole class to lunch.

Dalkeith restaurant gets taste of top Bangladeshi title

email: [email protected]@[email protected]

HYG I E N E

We offer a variety of services to help keep your food business compliant with all current food hygiene and safety legislation.

We can work together with you to provide H.A.C.C.P systems for your business in large scale production and we can provide COOK SAFE systems for you in smaller scale food premises.

We work with some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in Scotland to produce easy to use systems which we audit on their behalf.

Prices start at £200 and are available on request.

We offer a service to Local Authorities to cover food hygiene inspections, prices are available on request.

S A F E T Y

We can produce safety policies for all businesses together with a set of risk assessments and safe systems of work for all types of business.

We can carry out monitoring on your behalf to measure levels of dust or par ticles which may cause health problems and we can link you in with one of our business par tners for any health surveillance that’s required.

Prices star t at £200 and are available on request.

We offer a service to Local Authorities to cover health and safety inspections, prices are available on request.

We also do disability access audits & security audits!!

T RA I N I N G

We provide a professional service to all our customers, throughout Scotland and the north of England.

We try to be the most cost effective consultancy in everything we do, giving you guaranteed, best value for money.

We make everything easy to understand and have a 100% pass rate for all our training.

We make health safety and hygiene fun so you can learn more with CHHS!

We run REHIS approved training courses:• Elementary food hygiene £45 pp• Intermediate food hygiene £270 pp• Foundation level HACCP £45 pp• Elementary health and safety £50 pp

In addition we give discounts for multiple bookings!!

As well as specifically designed courses for companies such as:• Risk Assessment• COSHH• Moving and Handling• General Safety• Construction Safety• Fire Safety

As well as running independent courses for business we have courses where one or two of your employees can attend.

tel: 07775692480http://chhs.co.uk

3 & 4 November 2010Royal Highland Centre,Lowland Hall, Edinburgh

For more information on exhibiting please contact Steve Walters on +44 (0)208 651 7059 or email [email protected]

www.road-expo.com

Media Partners Show Supporters

PART OF THEFAVERSHAM HOUSE

PORTFOLIO

Member of

In Association with

‘I came for the seminars and to see the exhibitors. Been for a few years and the show has improved signifi cantly. Very glad I made

the long journey down for this year”Ian Halcrow, Shetland Island Council.

“This year the Scottish show reached critical mass both in terms of exhibitors and visitors

making it a really successful event and one we would expect to return to”

Roger Marsh, Rediweld Traffi c Products

Every business needs space to think; to focus the mind and refresh the batteries. With North East England boasting some of the most spacious rural countryside in the UK and voted the most tranquil county in England by the Campaign to Protect Rural England; there is no better place to get away from the office, motivate staff and build relationships with key clients.

Research by psychologists has shown that holding events in a tranquil, rural setting is key to stimulating creative new solutions which can impact on your company’s bottom line. North East England’s range and quality of rural venues provide the perfect opportunity to escape to a place where the only ‘tweet’ is from the countryside’s natural birdlife.

Thirty venues across North East England have teamed up to encourage businesses in Scotland to venture south of the border into their ‘back garden’ to experience its space, beauty, quality and value, with a new promotion launched offering 10 delegate places for the price of nine.

‘Space to Think’ is a new campaign offering meeting planners a unique insight into North East England’s stunning rural conference scene, with a whole host of top-class venues and icons to choose from, dotted throughout the region, from the atmospheric Hadrian’s Wall, to Durham’s beautiful landscapes; right through to the striking countryside of Tees Valley.

A new ‘Space to Think’ brochure and bespoke website enable conference organisers to directly access information on conference venues, with details on function suites, the great leisure offer, maps and locations, and the ‘10th delegate goes free’ promotion.

Major venues, hotels, castles and stately homes, including big-name brands such as Barceló, De Vere, Von Essen and Macdonald, are all part of the campaign, as are a range of high-quality independent properties like Langley Castle Hotel, Seaham Hall and The Serenity Spa and Ramside Hall. The very highest standards are ensured but at prices that won’t break the bank - with five-star 24-hour delegate rates from £175 and day-delegate rates from £40.

Time is always of the essence and with Alnwick Castle under 2 hours’ drive from Edinburgh and the stunning De Vere Slaley Hall roughly 2 ½ hours’ drive from Glasgow, delegates and team members will be feeling relaxed, inspired and motivated in next to no time.

To receive your essential brochure guide to conferencing in rural North East England and take up the unique promotional offer, contact NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau on: 0191 440 5757, email: [email protected] or visit: www.spacetothink.info

King of the CastlesWhere better to inspire your delegates than a venue that has been hosting gatherings for hundreds of years? Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle

in England, and has been the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309. A magnificent, battlemented castle, Alnwick is also the setting for Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter films. The castle provides a unique and dramatic backdrop that will guarantee a memorable event; private guided tours of the castle and grounds can be arranged to enhance your day.

Luxury LindenBoasting several flexible function rooms and set within a 450-acre estate featuring gardens, farmlands and an 18-hole golf course, Macdonald Linden Hall Golf

and Country Club is well-equipped to host your next business event, whether it be a conference, an incentive trip, or a teambuilding event. Linden Hall, found just outside the beautiful market town of Morpeth, was built by Charles William Bigge in 1812 and now offers four-star accommodation and award-winning dining in peaceful yet stimulating surrounds, which won’t disappoint your delegates.

Find some ‘Space to Think’

ADVERTISING FEATURE


http://www.spacetothink.info


Nor does any one single thing work for everyone because we are all different. Play to your communications strengths and do concentrated bursts of varied publicity activity so you seem to be definitely movin’ n shakin’ rather than string things out. However, you need a few things you find easy and quick to do to maintain the momentum when you’re busy so you don’t create feasts and famines.

Avoid copying things their competitors are doing if it involves doing things you hate. Cold calling or public speaking, for instance. Any discomfort you feel will undermine your efforts.

That doesn’t mean you shelve the telephone or public speaking completely: just kick them in further down the line and get some training and practice in.

With cold calling, try warm calling people you already know.

With public speaking, start small with short intros at business networking events and ask for feedback from people who do it well, rather than plunging into running seminars. Thanks to Toastmasters.org, the not-for-profit public speaking training organisation, I now love public speaking and I win business through that, but this was not always the case!

Mix it up with a spread of online and offline activity. I find Ping.fm allows me to quickly post to all sorts of social media – but you need to use it carefully. Business messages turn off Facebook users unless you have earned the right to slip a business mention in between a raft of entertaining posts (nine interesting posts for every boring one is about right according to research).

Are you using Linked-In to its full extent? You can join up to 50 groups and access all the members of each group through the group forums. That extends your reach on Linked-In massively: just don’t spam them!

PR + marketing + sales = customers2

The secret publicity formula is a combination PR, marketing and sales tactics all worked together.

Raise the profile in the media and online so people have heard of you (PR). That buzz makes your marketing and sales tasks much easier.

Make sure that people understand the key benefits you offer (not just the products or services you offer – they want the end results). That means well designed, clear marketing materials online and offline.

Plus an effective sales processes and tactics to reel them in (a CRM system, calls to action on your website, great call answering service, great information for new customers).

Then the work really starts. Brilliant customer service and information provision to encourage repeat business (always miles cheaper than chasing new customers). Plus brilliant after-sales care to generate referrals – and a referral programme to keep them coming in.

And Finally

I have learned the hard way to have the courage to ditch time-wasters - they just attract more of the same (birds of a feather really do flock together in business).

Penny Haywood Calder, MD, PHPR Ltd & author of DIY PR, the small business owner’s guide to ‘free’ publicity.

What Publicity Works?The short answer is: no one thing on its own works.

With cold calling, try warm calling people

you already know


School Leavers

In partnership with Midlothian Council we are working with young people who are leaving school and in danger of falling into negative destinations, this means that they will find themselves out of education and unable to re-enter education, training or employment.

We are working with the young people who have either left or are preparing to leave education and are running employability workshops with them to equip them with the skills and confidence they need to go into the workplace. The team are then partnering with local businesses to give the students an insight into their companies and what kinds of skills base local companies are looking for when they are employing. We are currently looking for companies who would like to be involved in showing the students round their workplace. There is no commitment to take any of the young people on, or to be looking to recruit.

Students

In order to help combat unemployment in young people leaving college and university the Bright Business Partnership run a range of student and graduate initiatives. These include the Step and Environmental Placement Programmes where we place students for 8 weeks over the summer with businesses across Scotland to carry out specific projects with identified outcomes for host companies. This years programmes are now under way and we are reaching the time for the Award Ceremonies to start.

All of our students will be coming along to present at Regional Awards throughout the country. Presentations will be given to a panel of judges, host companies and fellow students and they are competing for a monetary prize and, for EPP students, a place in the National Final being hosted by the Royal Society of Edinburgh on Wednesday 8th September.

Both the programmes aim to address the skills gap between the students coming out of university and the needs of the organisations who are looking to employ them. Barbara Schweitzer-Thomson, Project Manager for the EPP Programme says ‘All of our student placement initiatives look to increase the employability of the young people who take part, to help the businesses move forward and to enable businesses and students see the advantages of working together on fixed pieces of work’.

Graduates

Bright Business Partnership also has over 10 years experience delivering a range of programmes, working with SME’s across the country and matching them with new and experienced graduates in fixed term and permanent roles.

We now have a range of service levels where we can discuss the requirements of your business and match them with the graduates on our database. We can carry out interviews for you, shortlist and make sure you get the candidates that both suit your skills needs and who fit into your business. Even in this economy employment in the SME sector is continuing and we can help to make sure your business employs the right person at the right time.

Miriam Smith, Director of Bright Business Partnership says ‘There are lots of graduates out there who are looking to move into the workplace and get their foot on the ladder. Our clients, primarily SME’s in the East of Scotland, can make the most of the employer-led market at the moment and can snap up the talented workforce who may have previously looked to the larger organisations after leaving university’.

It is important at the moment, that we all work together to try to combat the rising unemployment levels and especially those among the young to avoid having a ‘lost generation’ of workers.

All the young people we are currently working with are keen to enter the workplace in one capacity or the other and to make an impact on businesses across Scotland. Bright Business Partnership are working on these initiatives to make this possible.

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the initiatives, or becoming involved yourself, please contact Miriam Smith on 0131 561 6253 or [email protected]

Youth Unemployment – what can we do?With Youth Unemployment rising again to almost 1million between April and June this year (according to the

Office for National Statistics (ONS), it is important that business support organisations and companies across

Scotland try to look at the positives and do what we can to support our future workforce.

The Princes Trust has warned that the continuing increase in unemployment in 16-24 year olds across the

country could lead to a ‘downward spiral’ and a generation of young people being left without jobs and the skills

they need to get them.

Here at the Bright Business Partnership we are involved in a number of initiatives to help 16-24 year olds who are

finding themselves out of work and education in the current economic climate.

As you know running a successful business depends upon a motivated and healthy team. If someone is off sick you need to ensure they get back to work as quickly as possible, so your business keeps running smoothly and profits don’t suffer.

Time off work due to sickness can be costly with not only direct financial implications to account for, but also team morale and performance may suffer due to increased work loads and demands on other members of your team.

With private medical insurance you and your team can be covered, safe in the knowledge that if someone is off sick they have prompt access to eligible private treatment to ensure that they can return to work as quickly as possible.

Why AXA PPP healthcare? AXA PPP healthcare has been providing access to private healthcare for 70 years and offer a wide range of options to suit your needs and budget. When you join you will be allocated a dedicated account manager who will remain with you throughout your membership to ensure all your queries are handled in the most efficient and personal way.

An exclusive healthcare package for Chamber members AXA PPP healthcare is pleased to be able to offer members of Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce affordable

private medical insurance with an exclusive offer – for Chambers’ members only.

The Chamber’s healthcare package includes a choice of either:

20% cash back on your company’s healthcare premium or Half price Chamber membership for three years

Both these offers are available for new direct customers only.

The cashback is paid on the premiums received by AXA PPP healthcare less insurance premium tax.

The half price Chamber membership offer is capped at £125 per employee covered per year.

More than just healthcare Included within the Chambers healthcare package is a telephone based Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which, can help your employees to deal more effectively with the pressures in their lives – whatever their cause, from difficulty with debts to problems with personal relationships.

These services can help you and your employees improve overall wellbeing.

Medical insurance is also a highly valued employee benefit and can help you both recruit – and retain – good people. It also shows your employees that you care about their health and wellbeing.

Switching is easy If you already have private medical insurance it’s easy to switch too. Let us see if we can save you money on your renewal price and our dedicated account managers are here to take all the hassle away from switching provider, making the process quick and easy.

Want to find out more? One of AXA PPP healthcare’s advisers may be calling you soon to talk about how they may be able to help your business healthcare needs.

Or you can call them today for an instant quotation or more information on:

0800 38 77 54 quoting ref LKCLines are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, we may record and/or monitor calls).

You can also visit www axappphealthcare.co.uk/chambers for more information or to access articles on sickness absence management for small businesses.

lOOking after yOur MOst valued asset – yOur peOple!

MELCC members AKD are currently installing four Kyocera 1.85Kw Solar PV panels on the roof of their own offices just off the A7 at Danderhall. These can actually be seen as you drive past the old

Maulsford Arms on the way into Edinburgh.

Having previously self installed a system three years ago these are now being replaced with more efficient panels, again from Kyocera.

Keith Groom, AKD’s Operations Director, outlined the main reasons for the change in units...

“Three years ago we saw the original units very much as a way we could help the environment and hopefully cut down on the electricity we used as we have fairly large two-storey offices with a warehouse attached. As an electrical contractor with a leaning towards energy efficiency we were also curious to see what was involved in the installation of what is predominantly an electrically related product.

But we live in Scotland, there is no Sun, people will say to me!

Even if the sky is overcast, PV still produces electricity. This is because PV cells not only use direct sunlight but also diffuse solar radiation, which is light that has been scattered by dust and water particles in the atmosphere. Obviously the amount of useful electricity generated is proportional to the intensity of light energy however you can still have a supply from the sun.

Since then AKD undertook the necessary training and qualifications through the NICEIC to become installers of Solar PV panels. More recently AKD have sought subsequent accreditation under the Micro-generation Certification Scheme (MCS).

The Government introduced in April 2010 Feed in Tariff’s as an incentive to get more households and companies to generate their own electricity.

As MCS approval was in its infancy at the time of the original installation the original panels were not MCS approved so this meant they would not qualify for the FiT’s.

AKD took the decision to replace them recently with Kyocera panels which are MCS approved. AKD being an MCS installer added to our using MCS approved equipment = eligibility for FiT’s.

If any other chamber members are interested in seeing the panels or finding out more they are very welcome to get in touch. We can even demonstrate via a PC connection how much energy they are generating per day however the attraction of Solar PV is definitely in the Feed in Tariff scheme.”

Contact Douglas Gray at AKD on 0131 654 7080

AKD Make hay while the sun shines with Solar PV



COnsistenCy in designChamber member Creative Link Design Consultants in North Berwick are an experienced graphic and web design company. Here they will share some thoughts and tips on the importance of consistency in design.

Why do you need consistency in business?

From a clients viewpoint consistency helps them to get to know a company and to identify them over the

competition. Consistency in your branding will strengthen your corporate identity.

Consistency is vital in business. Think about your website, then consider your printed materials. Do they link together? Are there common and consistent themes that show the user that they both belong to the same company?

The more a customer sees a brand the more they begin to identify it and recognise it, making them more likely to buy into the brand. If you are constantly altering your brand customers do not get a chance to get acquainted with you.

It is not just logos and images that need to be consistent the manner that your information is written and the quality of the printed materials and website should all be consistent to maintain brand identity

How to be consistent

Inconsistency can confuse customers and distil their confidence in your company. If your own materials aren’t consistent how can they know that you will be consistent with them?

Choose a corporate colour/s and stick with it. Use the same logo, colours and font across all areas of marketing be it print or website. Keep material similar and clear that it is all related. Consistency means the customer recognises your brand, begins to know it and trust it. This is vital in building a business.

Going to one design studio for your print and website material

will undoubtedly mean an easier road to brand consistency. Here at Creative Link we specialise in creating brands that represent exactly what your business is about. Visit our website to find out more www.creativelink.tvAKD House, Unit 2 A Maulsford Avenue, Danderhall, Midlothian EH22 1PH

Tel: 0131 654 [email protected]

www.akd.net

Now you can PROFIT from your energy bills with Solar PV.

The BEST INVESTMENT you will make for your Home or Business!

Electrical @ the core but So Much More!

For information or to discuss the Feed in Tariff please contact us…

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Scottish Waste & Resources Steering Group is a project partnership facilitated by:

Are you interested in opportunities and challenges surrounding Zero Waste Scotland?By attending this prominent event you will:

• Learn from MSPs and key industry representatives on how Scotland will take its new plan forward, especially in the current fi scal climate, in a session hosted by journalist and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson

• Discuss and debate topics such as Better Waste Regulation; Anaerobic Digestion; Energy from Waste; and Carbon and Waste Management in small breakout sessions

• Network with key Scottish industry representatives.

Budgets tight? Time at a premium? Still want the opportunity to network with colleagues in the industry?Then pop in on Tuesday 5 October between 16:30 and 18:00 hrs to view the exhibition for free whilst enjoying a complimentary drink, courtesy of Waste Recycling Group.

Book now at www.scotwaste.org

Scottish Waste & Resources Conference & Exhibition

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By Richard Andrews

Coaching has grown very quickly in recent years; in an unregulated field this has come at a cost. Professional standards, qualifications and experience vary enormously among individuals who call themselves “coaches”, and with many people setting up as coaches following redundancy it is difficult to know who to choose. In this article I focus particularly on the part that supervision can play, answering two questions: one for the buyers of coaching and one for the coaches themselves.

I’m a coaching client – how do I know that my coach meets professional standards?

I’m a coach – how do I assure my clients that I am professional?

Coach Supervision

Independent supervision for coaches is seen as best practice. For example, The European Mentoring and Coaching Council stipulates:

“The coach will maintain a relationship with a suitably-qualified supervisor, who will regularly assess their competence and support their development.”

Coaches and clients get four key benefits from coach supervision:

1. Review of practice. The supervisor, through discussion, reflection and exploration helps the coach to ensure good practice and develop. Supervision also considers, for example: appropriate contracting between coach and client and the boundaries of coaching.

2. Accountability. Coaches often operate independently. Combined with confidentiality, this can lead to opacity around their work. Supervision provides an opportunity for the coach’s practice to be benchmarked.

3. Confidential support in challenging situations. Coaching can throw up difficult questions which supervision addresses so that the coach can develop ethical responses.

4. Continuing Professional Development. Supervision provides highly focused and personalised CPD for the coach.

Some Questions To Ask Any Coaches who Knock on the Door.

What are your supervision arrangements?

Does the potential coach meet the standards set by professional bodies?

How long has the coach been coaching?

You need to feel assured that the coach has sufficient experience of coaching to be able to provide a quality service. The Association for Coaching, for example, expects five years’ experience before it will accredit a coach. Look out for the consultant who has changed their title to “coach”. How much of your potential coach’s work is actually coaching and what other work do they do?

How many coaching clients has the coach worked with?

There isn’t a definitive right answer, but you would be surprised at how few clients some coaches have had! Ask how many hours’ experience they have “on the clock” too.

What are the coach’s qualifications?

You should consider whether the qualification is from a commercial provider or an academic institution. What level is the qualification (certificate, diploma, master’s degree or doctorate)? How much work did the individual put in to gain the qualification?

What professional memberships does the coach hold?

There is a variety of professional bodies for coaches. Among the largest are the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching. As well as stringent requirements for accreditation (but not usually for standard membership) you can be reassured that members of these bodies adhere to a professional code of ethics and practice.

Back to those Questions

The questions I posed at the start have the same answers. Coaching qualifications, experience and membership of professional bodies help the coach to assure clients that he or she meets professional standards. Supervision benefits the coach in several ways, including CPD and personalised support. The coaching client also benefits. Supervision supports the coach’s professionalism and promotes best practice, resulting in better outcomes for client and coach alike.

Richard has over 7 years’ experience as a full-time Coach Supervisor and Executive Coach. He is Accredited by the Association for Coaching, has an MA in Coaching and Mentoring Practice and a Distinction in the Post Graduate Certificate in Supervision for Coaching and Mentoring (both awarded by Oxford Brookes University). His websites are:

www.supervisionforcoaching.co.uk and www.create-the-future.co.uk

What’s the point of Coach supervision? A Guide for Clients and their Coaches

We’re here to help Scottish business grow.

At Bank of Scotland we’re here for Scottish business, supporting opportunities for growth and encouraging enterprise.

We are committed to developing long-term partnerships with our customers to offer them the support, guidance and expertise needed to take their business forward.

From growing your business in a recovering economy and beyond, you can be sure that we’ll be with you all the way.

For more information visit bankofscotland.co.uk/business or your nearest branch.

137x194_BusMatters_57923.indd 1 10/9/10 12:39:51

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It’s been a bit of a mixed summer as far as the weather is concerned and now autumn has arrived. The leaves are starting to fall, the nights are drawing in, and it seems to be getting that bit colder. In autumn there is a big shift in energy, climate and diet.

This is the official harvest time of nature and we are provided with an abundance of nourishing foods. There is a wealth of ripe, tasty seasonal fruits and watery vegetables available, which have been soaking up the summer sun, and are now all the juicier and flavoursome for it.

Boost your nutrient levels by choosing the late season berries, together with apples, pears and plums, plus the green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and spinach. Whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts are also harvested at this time of year and should be eaten more. These foods are packed full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and good fats, which along with slow release carbohydrates can fight energy slumps by keeping blood sugar levels stable.

The variety of colours found in fruit and veg mirrors the beautiful leaf colourings at this time of year, ranging from green, yellow and orange to red. Tasty pumpkins and squashes will be out in force around Halloween, and along with the root vegetables such as beets, carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes, are great in home made soups.

Autumn gives us richer and denser foods that require more heat to prepare. The diet shifts to more cooked, warming foods to support the body’s need for heat and protection from the colder environment. Rotating the diet, not just seasonally but on a daily basis, reduces the potential to become allergic, intolerant or sensitive to particular foods.

We tend to exercise and get out more in the hotter months, but as our diet changes to richer protein and fat foods, many people tend to easily gain a few pounds. It is important therefore that we still remain active and keep well hydrated as we enter the colder and darker months.

Because of the lack of sunshine in the autumn and winter months it is vital that everyone maintains their levels of Vitamin D the “sunshine vitamin”. Although found in foods such as oily fish, eggs and butter the primary source of this important nutrient is sunlight, so invest in a good quality supplement.

To discuss this further contact Colin McKeand at NUTRI-TOX on 01324 823664 e: [email protected] w: www.diet-nutrition.co.uk

Autumn Already



http://www.diet-nutrition.co.uk


The Chamber is a not-for-profit business organisation dedicated to the furtherance of members’ interests. It is the largest private sector business support organisation in Britain.

The Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce is directed by a voluntary Board elected from among the membership. Day to day operations are managed by the Chamber Business Manager Laura Socha based at the Chamber’s office at the Hardengreen Business Park in Dalkeith.

The Chamber is also represented on a variety of organisations and committees. It has regular meetings with Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Midlothian and East Lothian Council, local MPs, MSPs and MEPs and with Scottish Enterprise at which it promotes members’ views. The Chamber is in a stronger negotiating position than individual members can be and uses its bargaining power for the benefit of members.

A graduated scale of membership fees makes the chamber accessible to everyone, from new starts to multinationals.And you do not have to be based in Mid or East Lothian to join – only to be interested in business in the area.

Business/Company Offer/Discount/Service ContactAeona Free initial consultation with no obligation and six 1:1

coaching sessions for the price of five.Sue Mitchell. 0845 6436 084 or 07738 290384 www.aeona.co.uk

AKD Systems Free survey and 25% off cost of Electrical Periodic Inspection Report for Chamber Members Quote Ref: CM2010DG

Keith Groom, 0131 654 7080 www.akd.net

Alba Water Up to 50% off products! Ben McCosh, 0800 089 11 88 www.albawater.co.uk

Anderson Strathern 15% off our standard rates for employers in relation to employment advice (not employees). We can consult in Haddington or in Edinburgh as required. We can also speak re employment topics if that is of interest to members

Alan Masson, 01620 828495www.andersonstrathern.co.uk

Anna Devine Commercial

FREE one to one marketing consultation for Chamber Members

Anna Devine, 07837 871 322

Arniston House 2 for the price of one on entry tickets Henrietta Dundas, 01875 830 515 www.arniston-house.co.uk

Bell & Co Ltd Discounts –5% -20% (dependent upon which insurer is competitive)

Stephen Stormonth, 0131 442 2493www.bellbrokers.co.uk

Bonaccord 20% off Training – Discipline and Grievance procedures from 6th April to 31st May

Patricia Barclay, 0131 202 6527 www.bonaccord.eu

Capital Solutions Free Print/Document Audit to help you ensure you take control of your document output and costs.

Calum Macinnes, 0131 557 4747 www.capital-solutions.co.uk

Chalmers & Co Free Services & 10% off other services – please visit www.melcc.org.uk for more detail.These offers are only valid for Chamber members and are valid until 31 Dec 2010 only.

Christopher Lamotter, 01620 [email protected]

Benefits Of ChaMBer MeMBership

Benefits include:

Free monthly Chamber Gatherings, where members ■

host an informal networking event with the opportunity to promote their business

Cost-effective networking lunches which 91% of ■

attendees in 2008 found helped towards meeting their business goals

Business Awards & Enterprise Exhibition – providing ■

more opportunities to trade with over 300 local companies

Monthly e-newsletters which promote member ■

businesses to nearly 3000 companies

Subsidised knowledge sharing seminars ■

Free training workshops run by Business Gateway ■

Free access to Business Mentoring Scotland; where ■

successful business people share their knowledge with other businesses

Cost-effective HR solutions including downloadable ■

contracts

Competitively-priced private medical cover or ■

cash-back health plans

Member-to-member offers available through our ■

website and e-newsletter

Discounted products for members including business ■

insurance

Listing in the national British Chambers Directory ■

Business support and advice ■

Free copies of our quarterly magazine ‘InCommerce’ ■

and a discounted rate for advertising

An on-line presence via the Chamber website business ■

listing

For more information on joining visit www.melcc.org.uk, alternatively call 0131 654 1234 or email [email protected]. uk.You can also follow the chamber on twitter at http://twitter.com/LauraSocha

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Benefits Of ChaMBer MeMBership

Cloud Logic 10% discount for set up of Google Apps for Chamber members

Scott McKenzie, 0845 225 5004www.cloudlogic.com

County Physio £5 discount off an initial physiotherapy assessment/treatment.

Maureen Blake, 01620 825380www.countyphysio.co.uk

Create the Future Bespoke 1 to 1 coach supervision to members at a special rate. All members will receive 6 sessions for the price of 5.

Richard Andrews, 0131 561 6283www.supervisionforcoaching.co.uk

Distinctive Assistants 10% off first job when you mention you are a member of Chamber of Commerce

Andrea Webb, 01875 870959 www.distinctiveassistants.co.uk

Dunedin Associates Special rates for chamber members across the range of our services.

Ali Hogg, 0845 299 0894, www.dunedinassociates.co.uk

eBusiness UK Free ‘Marketing Effectiveness Assessment’ of member’s site including a keyword effectiveness analysis. The report includes a number of tips on how to improve a web profile.

Neil Fraser, 01620 829529 www.ebusinessuk.com/internet-marketing.htm

Go People 20% discount on all recruitment and training services throughout 2010.

Jean Fenwick, 07946 417930www.huntresspersonnel.com

Green Business Network

Free environmental reviews, 20% off Network Membership, Environmental Placement Programme, 20% Environmental Events

Aimee Weatherburn, 0131 561 6270www.greenbusinesspartnership.org.uk

Greentrax Recordings Ltd

We offer other members a discount of 15% on retail price.

Ian Green, 01875 814155 www.greentrax.com

Hamill Decorating Services

10% discount for chamber members Jeanette Hamill, 0131 665 8294www.hamilldecorating.com

Jeffery Associates Free initial consultation to assess/review insurance & risk management needs

Mike Jeffery, 0131 554 1510

Kinnarps (UK) Ltd Free consultation, space planning and installation on all orders placed by members of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chambers of Commerce

Jonathan Dodsworth, 07525 100077www.kinnarps.com/en/uk/

Macdonald Marine Hotel

15% reduction to all members on meetings/events, 10% off accommodation, dinner & spa - incentive for any referrals for conference or banqueting to the Marine for those who have passed business to the hotel

Marc Millar, 0844 879 9130, www.MacdonaldHotels.co.uk/Marine

NetworkROI 20% off selected services Sean Elliot, 0131 510 2210 www.networkroi.co.uk

Nigel Duncan Media Free initial consultation Nigel Duncan, 0131 449 6682 www.nigelduncanmedia.co.uk

Optimise Web £250 off on all Website Packages. Starter website from FREE (setup and one day’s design) plus £15/month for domain, hosting, email, and support. Product Catalogue / Portfolio Websites from £500 plus £25/month. eCommerce Websites from £1,000 plus £45/month

Sid Vel, 0131 448 0483www.optimiseweb.co.uk

Pendrich Heights Ltd 20% off all surveys of your building/structure, 25% off all Lightning Protection Test Inspections and 10% off all Rope Access Services.

Paul Campbell, 0131 440 199 www.pendrich.com

Premier Inn – Edinburgh Inveresk

Free continental breakfast when booking a room Elaine Cowan, 0870 197 7092 www.PremierInn.com

Scot PR 10% discount to members throughout 2010 Scott Thornton, 0131 473 2388www.scotpr.com

Smith-Allan Marketing 25% Discount when advertising in The Midlothian Business Directory & Loyalty Card (publication date April 2010) Including Free Artwork Design and Advertising AdviceJust Quote Chamber of Commerce for discount

Liz Allen, 0131 454 9944 www.smithallanmarketing.com

Springfords Free business financial health check report Carol Wright, 0131 440 5000 www.springfords.com

Studio 9 Design Free Website & Design assessment for Chamber Members

Jon Dalrymple, 0131 553 1000 www.studio9scotland.com

Tax Assist Accountants 10% off Fixed Accountancy Fees Alasdair Maclean, 0131 654 1771 www.taxassist.co.uk

White Testing 50% off PAT Testing & 10% off fixed wire testing Anna or Fiona, 0800 652 8077 www.whitetesting.com

Will Services Scotland 10% Discount on Wills, Powers of Attorney,Living Wills to Chamber Members/Family/Friends

David Doig, 0131 555 6266

Your Doorstep Directory 50% discount off all colour adverts in Your Doorstep Directory to all Chamber of Commerce Members

Scott Morgan, 0131 660 3554www.yourdoorstepdirectory.co.uk

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http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/Marine

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SERVICED OFFICES, MEETINGS AND EVENTS

BushHouse

Standing in the spectacular shadows of the Pentland Hills, Bush House is one of Midlothian’s most striking, yet least known, country houses.

The 18th century home was part–designed by the Adam brothers and forms the stunning centre-piece for the 126-acre Edinburgh Technopole - a world-class business and technology park in an outstanding natural environment.

Bush House offers quality serviced office accommodation on flexible leases, as well as a range of meeting, conference and function facilities to suit corporate or private events. Its grounds are also available for hire.

For further information, please contact:Judith Sanderson / Lorraine Herring,Bush House,Edinburgh TechnopoleEH26 OBBTel: 0131 445 8600E-mail: [email protected]

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is a registered charity No. SC004064

Animal Adoption makes the perfect Christmas present for someone who has everything – except a tiger, rhino or penguin. Give the gift that lasts all year and support a charity – Edinburgh Zoo needs your help all year long.

Please order by Monday 13 December 2010 to guarantee Christmas delivery.

Order online at rzss.org.uk or call 0131 314 0374

during offi ce hours.

NHSNHSNHSADULTS AND CHILDREN ARE

WELCOME TO REGISTER NOW!

Brand new state of the art surgeries.• Disabled access and child friendly facilities.• Wide range of NHS and private treatments • available.Digital radiology and dedicated sterilization room.• Friendly, welcoming and relaxing.• High quality private dentistry at a� ordable prices.•

01620 825505

40 COURT STREET, HADDINGTON, EH41 3NP

[email protected]

Tooth Whitening offer only £199

Most businesses are stretched in the current economic climate – stretching their time and resources to the limit - to provide their products and services to customers and work on business development. With all this focus on keeping the business moving it is easy to ignore office and administration tasks which can soon build up.

Hiring a virtual personal assistant can alleviate all these problems and more. Bringing efficiencies to your business whilst allowing you to use your time in a more effective way is certainly a proposition to be considered carefully. A virtual personal assistant can help structure your daily workload, take on projects both large and small, so you can focus on your core business needs.

The professional administration services provided by Distinctive Assistants have a very personal approach.

“Working with Andrea not only allowed me to deal with my administrative pile up but freed up valuable time to focus on new projects. The range of work activities that I’ve given to Andrea has grown in the time that we’ve worked together and I have been impressed with Andrea’s professional attitude and attention to timescales. I’d recommend a VA to any business needing additional resources on a flexible basis.”

Fiona Strachan Resource (Edinburgh) Ltd

Your business could benefit from our full range of services including database creation and management to preparing

presentations, research, raising invoices, filing, email management, label creation and mail merge to providing

administrative holiday cover.

We appreciate for business owners value for money is important. Our flexible remote service is economical as you only pay for the hours you need, with rates starting from £18 per hour.

To find out how Distinctive Assistants can help your business efficiency and improve your effectiveness please contact Andrea Webb on:

M: 07785 508477 T: 01875 870959 E: [email protected]

www.distinctiveassistants.co.uk

Increasing your business efficiency and effectiveness

DistinctiveAssistantsVirtual Personal Assistants

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Edinburgh Technopole is a thriving location for business. Located to the south of the capital, just minutes from the city bypass, this world-leading business and science park is a hub for technology and innovation and home to over 20 leading Scottish and international companies.

At the heart of the business park, situated on a 126-acre site at the Bush Estate, is Bush House. This 18th century stately home has been transformed to offer high quality serviced office accommodation and meeting space.

The development is ideally suited to meet the varying needs of businesses and cater for companies of all sizes. Bush House provides 5,599 sq ft (520 sq m) of flexible office space, with rooms ranging from 150 – 500 sq ft (14 – 47 sq m). This fully furnished office space is ready for immediate occupation, with access to broadband internet.

Suites within the building are available on all-inclusive rental packages and space can be occupied for periods as short as three months, with flexible occupancy options thereafter. The services include a manned reception and 24 hour service desk, shower and changing facilities and one car parking space per workstation. Occupiers can also buy additional services on a ‘pay as you go’ basis from a menu of options including the hire of meeting rooms, catering and switchboard services.

Bush House also offers meeting room space to meet a range of different requirements.

The Cedar Room and Redwood Room can accommodate eight and up to 16 people respectively in a boardroom-style format. Larger events can be accommodated in the Adam Suite, which seats up to 70 people and offers additional space for catering. The landscaped grounds surrounding the house also provide additional space for events.

Edinburgh Technopole provides the ideal opportunity for business collaboration. In addition to close links to the University, it is an integral part of the Edinburgh Science Triangle and is located alongside leading international research organisations such as The Moredun Institute, the Scottish Agricultural College, The University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute and The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, part of the Natural Environment Research Council.

Offering 100,000 sq ft of existing high quality office and lab space together with potential for new space totalling 500,000 sq ft, Edinburgh Technopole aims to give businesses at all stages of growth and development an environment in which to flourish.

For more information visit: www.edinburghtechnopole.co.uk or contact the joint agents DTZ (0131 222 4500) and Eric Young & Co (0131 226 2641).

Edinburgh Technopole: The location for business

ADVERTISING FEATURE


http://www.distinctiveassistants.co.uk/

http://www.nerc.ac.uk

http://www.nerc.ac.uk

http://www.edinburghtechnopole.co.uk

Culmor Design Ltd. is a family run buildings design company, based in Midlothian, who have been delivering quality buildings design and other technical services to clients throughout Scotland for eight years.

The core service offered is the production of detailed building designs for planning, warrant submissions and construction at all levels from simple domestic buildings to large industrial, commercial and agricultural projects.

Bespoke draughting services to business clients and other professionals include Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Planning Consultants, Farmers and National bodies. Those who have taken advantage of our draughting service have been impressed with our standard of work and competitive, negotiated rates.

If you are an architect or commercial company requiring help with detailed draughting or graphics work but are reluctant to take on extra staff in the current economic climate, Culmor Design’s building technologist with over 35 years of design experience can assist you with our industry standard AutoCAD LT2010 computer design software. All types of work can be undertaken whilst covering our own overheads. Why not get in touch for a chat to find out what Culmor Design Ltd. can do for you?

Farm and rural buildings have been a significant part of our workload over the past few years. Do you need a new GP shed or stock building?

Working most recently with the Scottish Agricultural College advising on all aspects of agricultural building and land use, projects as diverse as research laboratories, veterinary installations, animal accommodation, pollution control and farm mapping were undertaken enhancing our broad experience base.

Equestrian buildings are also undertaken and with in house hands on expertise in this field a superior building can be designed. New stable blocks, ménage’ design and outbuildings have all been completed.

Domestic buildings design including new homes, extensions, conversions, garages.

We understand that in these economically difficult times it’s not always possible to move house if you need more space for a growing family. Why not extend your present property to accommodate your needs. Our friendly understanding designer can come for a chat and help you to design exactly what you need. Culmor Design Ltd will guide you through the intricacies of obtaining all local authority consents so you don’t have to worry about the complicated bits.

Are you a local builder looking for someone to help with Planning & Building Warrants for your clients? Contact Culmor Design Ltd. for first class design work.

Commercial and industrial buildings also feature in our portfolio from large steel framed structures to internal fit out. We also have extensive experience in land and environment, site surveys, deed plans and contract management.

For information contact Andrew Peggie on 0131 448 2919 or see

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Funded by

We offer:

Provision of up to £5,000 grants for university based feasibility studies

Free technical assistance to help you develop your renewable projects

Expert advice on choosing and improving your own renewable energy systems

Help identifying funding to drive your R&D forward

Access to leading electrical test facilities

Meet experts in your arena at knowledge-sharing workshops & seminars

If you are a SME working within the growing renewable sector, we will put you in touch with academic and indus-try experts within Scotland's powerful research base who can help you deve-lop your renewable projects and related technology.

Find out how we can help you develop your ideas and to join our free Networkwww.renewnet.org.uk

[email protected]

0131 650 5694

http://www.culmor.co.uk

SETN is the organisation for you, if you own or operate a company doing work in the Environmental & Clean Technologies Sector.

We can offer small grants and expertise to help you test a new process or idea, help you to secure R&D funding, and give you opportunities to network with other ECT companies and organisations from across Scotland at our popular cost-free events.

S E T N works actively to support the growth of the ECT sector in Scotland, a sector that will prove fundamentally key to meeting Scotland’s ambitious low carbon economy goal.

Joining is simple and without charge,contact us at [email protected] for a membership application.

SCOTTISHENVIRONMENTALTECHNOLOGYNETWORK

setn

Copyright: Understanding your RightsEach of us creates copyright everyday whether taking photographs at a social event or posting a comment to an online forum. The mere act of “fixing” a thought or artistic work in reproducible form is sufficient to create that copyright – there is no quality standard! Mostly we don’t give it a thought and would not much care if anyone else copied it but for many businesses the copyright they create or commission is key to their success.

Copyright can apply to a wide variety of forms including art, writing, photography, typographical arrangements, software, performances and music. In general it is the person who creates the work who owns it and others who want to use the work must obtain permission from the author. There is an exception where an employer will own the works of his employee which relate to his business and where they are employed in a role in which it is reasonable to expect this sort of creation. Paying an external consultant to create something for you will only give you a non exclusive licence to use the work unless you have specified otherwise in a contract. This means you should have professional contracts prepared for your employees and any commissioned work to ensure you secure the rights that you need – which need not be ownership but could simply be a clearly defined licence. If you are the creator of the works you too should ensure your rights are set out in a detailed contract to avoid getting into disputes later with a client who may have misunderstood what it was they were buying.

One aspect of copyright that can catch people out is how long it lasts. Different types of work are protected for different periods so a typographical arrangement is protected only for 25 years while a novel may be protected for 70 years after the death of the author. The rules are ludicrously complicated (and also vary from country to country) so it is best to check the specifics of any works you are thinking of using.

While photographers and software designers may have a good understanding of the value of what they are creating other service companies often fail to recognise the potential of their material. If you are a business coach or trainer, for example, have you thought about how you protect and market your materials and methods? If you have a structured approach, well put together materials and a strong brand you are well on your way to developing a valuable business that can be expanded, franchised or sold quite independently of your own day to day hard work. Copyright really can work for your business.

Patricia Barclay is a solicitor with more than 20 years experience in the protection and exploitation of intellectual property.

www.bonaccord.eu

ADVERTISING FEATURE


upCOMing ChaMBer events

2010 Chamber AGMEvent Date: Thursday, 14th October 2010

Venue: Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, East Lothian EH39 4SS

Time: 6pm to 7pm

Cost: Members & Guests - FREE

Tapas @ 2pm (Networking with Federation of Small Business)Event Date: Friday, 15th October

Venue: The County Hotel, High Street, Dalkeith, Lothian EH22 1AY

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Cost: Members & Guests £10 payable at venue

Health & Safety in the WorkplaceEvent Date: Wednesday, 27th October 2010

Venue: Chamber of Commerce, 42/3 Hardengreen Business Park, Dalhousie Road, Dalkeith EH22 3NU

Time: 12 - 4.30pm

Cost: Members - £100 | Non-members: £125

Top Table NetworkingEvent Date: Wednesday, 1st December 2010

Venue: Cook School by Martin Wishart, 14 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh EH6 5JD

Time: 12 to 2pm

Cost: Members - £40 | Non-members: £45

Joint West Lothian & Mid & East Lothian Chamber NetworkingEvent Date: Tuesday, 2nd November

Venue: Quality Hotel Edinburgh Airport, Ingliston Road, Edinburgh, EH28 8AU

Time: 4pm to 6pm

Cost: Members & Guests - FREE

Chamber of Commerce Enterprise Awards Event Date: Thursday 18th November

Venue: Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Cost: Members & Guests - £10

OCtOBer

To book or for more information please visit www.melcc.org.uk

nOveMBer

deCeMBer

Networking with the Green Business Network at The Melting Pot in Edinburgh.

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 per minute. Call costs from other networks may vary. Text costs vary depending on your mobile operator.

0845 609 6611 www.bgateway.comor visit your local office

Thinking of starting your ownbusiness?

Think Business Gateway.

Running your own business isrewarding and exciting.However all start-ups need alittle help, particularly in tougheconomic times.

We o�er expert advice andonline tools to help you gain theknowledge, skills and supportyou need to get you started.And our free local workshopscan give you practicalinformation and the chance totalk to experienced businesspeople who have been in thevery same position.

Phone or call in to our localo�ce:

Business Gateway42/3 Hardengreen BusinessParkDalhousie RoadDalkeith, EH22 3NUTel: 0131 654 1234

InCommerce Midlothian and East Lothian Issue 4

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Transcript of InCommerce Midlothian and East Lothian Issue 4