08�� �77 7000

Spring �011

Inside this issue...Business profilePaul Saunders Media & Photography

Retail sectorHow Stirling’s retail sector is fairing

Business Panel featureNews on the April Trade Fair, social networking and more

Special features…Top tips on accessing finance

Business space developments

The latest on the Barracks, Forthside and flexible office

space in Stirling

Latest on the £12 million Palace project

at Stirling Castle

� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

ContentsWelcome

Cover photo: A costumed interpreter with visitor to Stirling Castle – please see interview with Gillian MacDonald, Executive Manager of Stirling Castle on page 9 for more information. Photo courtesy of Stirling Castle.

Our interview with Gillian MacDonald, Executive Manager

of Stirling Castle, picks up on the cover story, the £12

million refurbishment of the Palace at Stirling Castle.

This is an exciting development, expected to increase

visitor numbers to the Castle by 20 per cent. Tourism

remains an important driver for Stirling’s economy, and

this edition of Stirling Eye also provides information on the Council’s Tourism

Development Grant Scheme, European support for sustainable tourism through

Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER and results from the latest City of Stirling Visitor

Survey.

Our feature on access to finance provides excellent advice from a Business

Development Partner of a local bank on how to make a strong business case

for finance and how to present yourself and your business accordingly. As the

economic climate remains tough, maximising the success of applications to

the banks for finance is more important than ever for local businesses. Small

businesses will also be interested in the article on rates relief on page 8,

providing information on the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

The local business news section provides continuing evidence of Stirling’s

entrepreneurial spirit, reporting a number of new business start-ups,

expansions and awards. The retail update shows that times have been tough

for the retail sector, but that we have turned the corner now with sales

increasing and vacant units being taken up. The update also reports on the

unexpected boost to Stirling’s retail trade during the lead up to Christmas,

despite the severe winter weather!

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage local businesses to attend the

Stirling Business Panel’s Spring Trade Fair on 12th April at Strathallan House,

Castle Business Park. Over 50 businesses will be exhibiting at the event and

attendance is free. This is the second Trade Fair to be hosted by the Panel and

follows on from the success of the Autumn Trade Fair, which helped many local

businesses to establish new business links.

Councillor Scott Farmer

Depute Leader of Council and

Portfolio Holder for Economy,

Tourism and Finance.

Contact us...Stirling Eye is published by Stirling Council’s Economic Support & Tourism service.

Editor: Joëlle RussellEmail: russelljl@stirling.gov.uk Tel: 01786 442778Visit: www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Design: The Write People, StirlingEmail: karen@thewritepeople.co.ukTel: 01786 445022Visit: www.thewritepeople.co.uk

Local business news 3

Interview with Gillian MacDonald,Executive Manager of Stirling Castle 9

Stirling Business Panel 10

Special feature - Tips on accessingfinance 12

Best Bar None Awards 2010 14

30 second interview 14

Feature - Tourism Development Grant Scheme 15

Business space developments 16

Latest City of Stirling Visitor Surveypublished 19

Sector feature - Retail update 20

Business profile - Paul Saunders Media & Photography 23

At your service - Land Services 24

The Stirling Wedding Show – matching local brides to localbusinesses 26

New wedding venue with a difference 26

Curriculum for Excellence 27

2011 Scottish Road Race Championships 27

LEADER update 28

Wireless broadband is coming torural businesses in Stirling 29

Economic facts 30

On the Verge 32

Forthcoming events/training 32

View exclusive video clip on the refurbished Palace at www.smallmajority.co.uk

Stirling Eye is distributed for free to around 3,000 local businesses. First published in 2007, Stirling Eye comes out three times a year.

�www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Local business newsDriven in style Local businessman William Chrystal recently expanded his business activities in Stirling by

opening a new luxury chauffeur-driven car hire company.

IT services provider expands into StirlingIT services provider, Lightsout Computer

Services, recently opened its fourth

Scottish office in Stirling. In two years,

Lightsout has increased its employee

count from 14 to 38 and has taken on the

IT services of 24 sites across Scotland.

The new Stirling team is based at Stirling

Business Centre and will focus on service

delivery for Scottish sites. The company

specialises in taking over in-house IT

departments to provide fully outsourced

support.

Tim Usher, Director, said: “We are delighted

to expand into Scotland. Stirling is the

ideal location from which to support our

new customers and Scotland plays a

strategic role in our business development

plan.”

“Having set up the new centre, we are

looking to take on additional clients within

the region. We can provide companies

with state-of-the-art technology, reliability

and expertise that is normally out of the

reach of SMEs and large organisations

which have to reduce their cost burden.”

www.lightsout.co.uk

Macfarlane Gray launch new tax serviceStirling based chartered accountants and business

advisors, Macfarlane Gray, recently launched a

new tax compliance and consultancy service

‘Macfarlane Gray Tax’.

Hazel Burt, FCCA, heads up the new service. With

a proven track-record in advising on all aspects

of tax for small and medium-sized businesses

and individual tax payers, Burt commented:

“We continually look at the strength of services

offered and in order to deal with the ever

increasingly complex tax system it is important

that both individual tax-payers and businesses have access to specialist

advice. We have developed our specialist tax team over the last ten years and believe that

the time is right to launch our new tax service.”

Greg Callan, Director, commented: “As the business community catches its breath and

awaits the next twist in our slow climb out of the recession, Macfarlane Gray is looking

forward. We are focusing on the long-term needs of our clients. When growth comes it is

important to be as tax efficient as possible.”

www.macfarlanegray.co.uk

Identifying a niche in the market, William established Chrystal Executive Hire providing

professional chauffeurs specialising in stylish business travel.

William, who is also the Director of Chrystal Funeral Services, said: “Operating in Stirling, we

are ideally situated to service Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick airports. We also service key

meeting and corporate venues, including prestigious golf courses, hotels and theatres. We

aim to provide one less logistical stress for business owners whilst creating a pleasurable

experience for our passengers.”

www.chrystalchauffeurhire.co.uk

� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Local business news

Illness gives entrepreneur drive to follow her dreamOvercoming a debilitating illness gave

Heather Andrews the confidence to follow

her dreams and make jewellery for a

living.

The 56-year-old, who lives in the Stirling

area, gave up her teaching career to re-train

as a fine jeweller after being struck down

with ME in 2001.

With help from Business Gateway’s Stirling

office, she set up www.silvertreestudio.

co.uk in 2008. Selling on the web is ideal

as it allows Heather to choose her hours,

working when she feels well. She also sells

her jewellery through the Mugdock Makkers

Gallery, within Mugdock Country Park.

Inspired by nature, and using traditional

silversmith techniques, each piece of

jewellery is handmade from scratch with the

latest collection made using recycled silver

and biodegradable plastic.

Heather said: “I’ve always loved making

jewellery but it wasn’t until I became ill, and

was unable to get out of bed never mind

work, that I decided it was time to give up

teaching and focus on doing something that

I was passionate about. Business Gateway

has helped me tremendously over the years

and my adviser is always full of ideas that

will help my business grow.”

www.silvertreestudio.co.uk

Bryan and Patricia Jackson owners of The Old Mill B&B on the River Forth have expanded

their business, purchasing a small house adjoining their own home and turning it into a

fishing lodge.

Bryan said: “The Forth was the most productive beat in Scotland in 2010, producing the most

salmon and grilse in the UK in one single beat. Because of our location, it seemed a good

idea to offer this accommodation. We worked with David Jones, Stirling Council’s Fisheries

Officer, to purchase corporate rods that can be used by our guests and we already have

bookings for the year ahead.”

David Jones, said: “Since the ‘Trout and Salmon’ magazine featured the beat, we have been

inundated with phone calls from all over the UK. People want to come to the area and stay in

the area so it is good for Stirling’s economy.”

“The corporate rods allow people to sample the quality of fishing that is offered in the area. This

has resulted in many fishers returning to the area, some of which are now fishing permit holders.”

www.oldmillcottagestirling.co.uk

Fishing for business

Chairman of Contract Scotland, Colin Woodward, right, being presented with the Insider Best Employer Award.

Top employer award for Contract ScotlandStirling based construction recruiter Contract

Scotland recently scooped the Insider Best SME

300 Employer award, in recognition of its wide

range of efforts to motivate and reward its 20-

strong workforce.

This includes a pay structure that rewards long

term relationships with clients rather than short-

term success. Senior managers are given free

shares in recognition of the contributions they

have made to the success of the business.

Colin Woodward, Managing Director of Contract Scotland, said: “This award

is testimony to the continued dedication and motivation of our employees who are

committed to providing a quality service to support the industry and have made a positive

contribution to the success of the business over the years.”

The best employer award is the latest in a series of wins by Contract Scotland, which also

recently picked up the Recruitment Company of the Year award

at the prestigious UK-wide Recruitment Business Awards.

www.contractscotland.co.uk

�www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Kernis on the moveStirling based

telemarketing

firm Kernis

Communications

has expanded into

larger premises

after doubling its

client base in the

past 12 months.

Kernis, which specialises in appointments

and lead generation, has enjoyed continued

growth since launching in 2005 and the

increase in clients has prompted the

move to 1,700 sq ft offices in Springkerse

Industrial Estate, Stirling.

Managing Director Wendy Nisbet developed

the business following a career in

telemarketing and branched out on her

own after being head hunted by a number

of similar companies.

Ms Nisbet said: “The business has grown

from strength to strength during the past

twelve months and the new premises

places us in a great position within the

industry and gives us the opportunity to

further expand the business in the future.”

“I have a highly motivated team of

telemarketing experts who are focussed

on delivering our unrivalled service to our

clients and that is the key to the success of

our business.”

The new office can house up to 20 members

of staff and with a goal to double turnover

in the next 18 months Kernis is set to

further expand their expert team in the

coming year.

www.kerniscommunications.co.uk

Wendy Nisbet, Managing Director of Kernis Communications

Ogilvie start work on £2.9 million waste and recycling facilityStirling Council and Ogilvie Construction Limited recently broke ground on a new £2.9

million Recycling and Waste Management Facility at Lower Polmaise, near Fallin.

As the Council works towards meeting zero waste targets the new facility will receive all

recyclables and waste collected from households, and will enable sorting of quality materials

to be reused and recycled, diverting as much as possible away from landfill sites, which costs

the Council £2 million every year.

Councillor Jim Thomson, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “This project represents

a substantial investment by the Council in the future delivery of recycling and waste

management services. It is welcoming that local company Ogilvie Construction has won

the contract as this will support local jobs and bring economic benefits to our area. The new

centre will provide the essential infrastructure to enable the Council to further increase the

recycling and minimisation of waste which will save money, provide best value and deliver

environmental benefits for local people.”

Phil McEwan, Managing Director of Ogilvie Construction, who attended the sod-cutting

ceremony, said: “As a Stirling-based company, we’re delighted to be working with Stirling

Council to deliver this new facility. This multi-million pound contract is one of a series of new

business wins in the past few weeks, securing employment for local people. It’s great to see

work starting on site and I look forward

to the new facility being completed.”

www.ogilvie.co.uk

Work starts on construction

40 years of success in Stirling M.A.C. Electrical & Heating Engineers celebrated forty successful years of doing business in Stirling in February.

The company employs 12 people and handles all aspects of industrial and commercial electrical and heating contracts.

Director Tony Moulsdale has been with the company since it was established in 1971. Tony said: “It has been

a joy doing business in Stirling over the last forty years, continuing to go from strength to strength. Originally

established at Riverside, we moved the company to larger, more modern premises at Back O’Hill Industrial Estate

as the company grew.”

“We continue to develop the company and are currently making the most of rising energy bills by offering clients

specialist energy management services that can save them up to 50 per cent on their energy costs.”

www.macstirling.co.uk

Tony Moulsdale

� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

If you have recently set up a business in the Stirling Council area and would like a mention in Stirling Eye or would like to report a business news story, please contact

Joëlle Russell on 0178� ���778 or email russelljl@stirling.gov.uk

art4you ScotlandA new art company based in Balfron

offering art classes to adults from beginner/

refresher to advanced levels, one-to-one

sessions and portfolio classes. Students

can discover their artistic side or improve

existing skills in a relaxed, creative

atmosphere.

Tel: 07981768081

www.art4youscotland.co.uk

Barnton Street MusicA new music shop specialising in vintage

instruments and repair. Guitar, base and

drums tuition is also available. The shop

opened in December 2010 and is located on

Barnton Street, Stirling.

Tel: 01786 479888

www.barntonstreetmusic.com

Baxter Accounting & Tax ServicesA new accounting practice dealing with all

accounting and tax matters for individuals

and companies. Established in January 2011,

the business is located in Strathblane.

Tel: 01360 770320

www.baxtertax.co.uk

The DeliA new deli in Bridge of Allan specialising

in fresh quality local produce, including

hampers and fruit baskets to order. The

business opened in December and is

located in the former Clive Ramsay Deli in

Henderson Street, Bridge of Allan.

Tel: 01786 833903

www.mylocalfarm.co.uk

Gabe’s DinerA new diner/bistro specialising in homemade

comfort food to savour. Gabe’s Diner is

located in Forthside, near Vue Cinema.

Tel: 07513742211

H&MInternational

clothing

retailer

H&M recently

opened a branch in the Stirling

Thistle Centre. H&M offers fashion for

women, men, teenagers and children.

www.hm.com

The Junk RoomsA new café/bar/bistro/licensed restaurant

located on Friars Street, Stirling. The Junk

Rooms opened in December 2010 and

specialises in Scottish modern cuisine.

Tel: 01786 358003

www.thejunkrooms.co.uk

LUSHA new

branch

of LUSH

recently

opened

in the

Stirling

Thistles

Centre.

LUSH

specialise

in fresh handmade cosmetics, made from

ethically sourced ingredients.

www.lush.co.uk

Mortgage CentralMortgage Central recently relocated

from Castle Craig Business Park to Upper

Craigs, Stirling. The business specialises in

mortgage and insurance advice.

Tel: 01786 447470

www.mcentral.co.uk

News @nd SURFA new local convenience store with internet

café access located in King Street, Stirling.

The business opened in January 2011.

Tel: 01786 358816

Parc Hair & BeautyA new upcoming salon

offering a fresh approach to

hair and beauty. Parc opened

in December and is located on

Borestone Crescent, Stirling.

www.parchairbeautystirling.co.uk

Pixlprint LtdA large format digital printing

company located on Abbey Road,

Stirling. Pixlprint specialise in

banners, posters, pull-ups, pop-ups, ‘A’

boards, mounted prints, labels and more.

Tel: 01786 473403

www.pixlprint.com

Poppy BoutiqueA new ladies fashion boutique, specialising

in brands such as Vicky Martin, CeMe

London and Laundry Room. The boutique

opened in October 2010 and is located on

Friars Street, Stirling.

Tel: 01786 473908

www.poppyboutique.co.uk

RAYTDRAYTD is a new unique gents boutique,

specialising in branded clothes including

Liam Gallagher’s label Pretty Green,

Original Penguin, Farah, Religion and

Juke De Luxe. The shop opened in

November 2010 and is located in the

Stirling Arcade.

Shining Bright Cleaning ServicesA new home and office cleaning service

launched in January 2011. The business is

located in Coxithill Road, Stirling.

Tel: 01786 542020 / 07587187758

www.shiningbright.co.uk

Tartan Penguin MediaA new public relations service for

businesses in the Stirling area, specialising

in journalism, public relations and media

consultancy. The business started up in

January and is located in Stirling city.

Tel: 0796814895

www.tartanpenguinmedia.com

Local business news

Business welcome…New and relocating businesses in the Stirling area include:

7www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

TimesaversTimesavers is a new personal concierge

service based in Dunblane, offering

a range of lifestyle and household

management services, so people can

enjoy more free time.

Tel: 07708922452

www.iam2busy.co.uk

YOUMANAGE HR LtdYoumanage is an online platform

offering a suite of modules to support

line managers and HR professionals

with all aspects of people management

– from recruitment and performance

to managing absence, handling a

disciplinary and through to exit.

Youmanage HR Ltd are based at Stirling

University Innovation Park.

Tel: 01786 458037

www.youmanage.co.uk

Your People SolutionsA new Stirling based HR services company

providing professional and cost-effective

HR support and employment law advice

for businesses. Offering expert, practical

support for all HR matters.

Tel: 07411180261

www.yourpeoplesolutions.co.uk

The Wee KitchenA new coffee shop and restaurant located

at Aberfoyle Golf Course specialising in all

home cooked food. The business opened

in March and is run by the same people

who formerly ran the Rock Hill Coffee

Shop in Buchlyvie.

Tel: 01877 382493

www.theweekitchen.co.uk

The Wee Photo ShopA new photography business specialising

in wedding photography, photo

restoration and pop art. The business

opened in November 2010 and is located

at the top of King Street, Stirling, near the

Steeple.

Tel: 01786 466708

www.theweephotoshop.co.uk

Stirling Life magazine Following on from the success of their sister publication for the

National Park area (Park Life), Fiona Baverstock and Katrina

Gardener have established a new A5 colour magazine for the

Stirling area.

Stirling Life magazine is a local events guide and business

directory. It is a free magazine delivered every two months to

20,000 households and businesses in the Stirling area, with

advertising opportunities available.

Fiona Baverstock said: “Park life has been established for

seven years and we decided to launch Stirling Life because

we had so many enquiries from the Stirling area. We would

like to thank all the local businesses who have supported Stirling Life so

far and we are now working on our third edition.”

www.stirlinglifemagazine.co.uk

Rural remit for new STEP Business AdviserStirling Enterprise

(STEP) has recruited a

new Rural Business

Adviser.

Sandy Slater joins

STEP from the

Highlands where he

has operated as a

freelance Business Adviser

since 1991, contracting both

to individual organisations

and Highlands and Islands

Enterprise. He has worked

with business start-ups,

growth businesses and social enterprises on all kinds

of business issues but with a particular focus on

business planning and financial forecasting. Sandy

brings to STEP this understanding of the particular

circumstances and needs of rural businesses and,

being a freelance contractor, understands the day-

to-day pressures such as cash flow, financing the

business, sales and marketing and compliance.

His remit is to provide general business advice to rural

businesses in the Stirling district, including providing

feedback on business issues, assistance in identifying

appropriate sources of business funding and signposting

to specialist advice. He lives in Aberfoyle where he spends

his spare time mountain-biking.

www.stirling-enterprise.co.uk

Scotland’s Best BarsThe Lade Inn

in Callander

and The Birds

and the Bees

in Stirling

were two of

the first bars in

Scotland to be accredited by

VisitScotland’s new Best Bars

scheme.

The awards have been

developed by VisitScotland

and the Scottish Licensed

Trade Association to drive up

standards and encourage more

visitors to enjoy Scotland’s pubs

and bars.

Businesses that would like to

find out more about joining

the Best Bars scheme or being

listed on VisitScotland’s food

and drink website should go to

http://eatscotland.visitscotland.

com/about-eatscotland.html .

www.scotlandbestbars.com

8 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Two week turn around for Stirling beauticianBeauty by Pamela Morton is a new business

which has opened within the Lindsay Murray

Hairdressing salon on Wallace Street, Stirling.

After completing her beauty therapy qualifications,

Pamela worked at Get Nailed in Stirling for eight

years. In July 2010, all the staff, including Pamela,

were given the shock news that the company

would be closing down with just two weeks notice

to find new jobs.

After initially thinking of looking for work

elsewhere, Pamela decided that this was the

prime opportunity to start out on her own, an idea

that she had in the past.

After looking at several different rented premises

in the Stirling area, she finally decided to lease

two rooms within the Lindsay Murray Hairdressing

salon and used her redundancy pay and some

personal savings to purchase equipment and stock

up on some high quality products.

Pamela contacted Stirling Enterprise (STEP) after

the news of her impending redundancy to discuss

her options with Business Gateway Adviser Jim

Fraser. Jim advised Pamela on the practical side

of setting up her business as well as providing

some basic legal advice. Pamela also intends

looking into setting up her own website and

will be assisted in this process through STEP’s IT

Service.

Now trading, Pamela can provide nail care,

tanning and body treatments among others and

she has retained a healthy percentage of her

client base.

Pamela Morton

If your business is eligible for any of these schemes and it is not shown on your bill or if you have not already claimed, please contact the Rates Service on 01786 443236 or email rates@stirling.gov.uk for an application form.

BUSINESS RATESRates poundageBusiness Rate poundage from April 2011 is set at 42.6p for properties with a rateable value below £35,000 and 43.3p for larger premises.

Have you claimed your Small Business Bonus?Businesses with rateable values up to £18,000 may have their

rates reduced by a further 25 per cent to 100 per cent. The

thresholds for Small Business Bonus changed last year, which

will allow businesses with a combined rateable value less than

£18,000, to claim up to 100 per cent relief.

The level of relief for each business depends on:

the total rateable value of all properties in Scotland that the business owns;

whether or not each property is eligible for one of the existing rates relief

schemes; and

the level of other public sector assistance received by the business.

Companies occupying two or more properties with a combined rateable value of no

more than £25,000 could also benefit from this scheme. A maximum of 25 per cent

relief can be awarded in these circumstances.

Renewable Energy Generation Relief A new, targeted relief for renewable energy producers was introduced last year. It

offers discounts of up to 100 per cent to support the central role of renewable energy

producers in the climate change agenda and to promote expansion of the sector.

The regulations set out the percentage of relief available to non-domestic properties,

which are solely concerned with the production of renewable energy, banded by

rateable value. Renewable heat or power produced from the following sources is eligible:

biomass, biofuels, fuel cells, photovoltaics, water (including waves and tides, but excluding

production from the pumped storage of water), wind, solar power and geothermal sources.

The properties rateable value will determine the amount of relief that is awarded:

Rateable value Eligible for relief of:

up to £145,000 100%

up to £430,000 50%

up to £860,000 25%

up to £4m 10%

£4m or above 2.5%

Local business news

To keep up-to-date with developments at Stirling Castle, please visit www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk , or contact Nicola McCrae (Marketing Executive, Stirling Castle) on 01786 431325, email nicola.mccrae@scotland.gsi.gov.uk .

View exclusive video clip on the newly refurbished Palace at www.smallmajority.co.uk . The video clip was kindly produced by Stirling based film production company Small Majority.

Interview with...

Gillian, what is your background?“I’ve worked for Historic Scotland for around

12 years and have been Executive Manager

at Stirling Castle for more than three.”

What does your role involve?“I look after the commercial and visitor

operations at Stirling Castle. It is an exciting

and challenging role, covering everything from

marketing and ticketing, to working with

partners in the wider tourism community.”

What is the Palace project?“The £12 million Palace project will return

the Palace at Stirling Castle back to how it

was in the mid-16th Century, to recreate the

vision of King James V. The refurbishment

has recreated the bright colours and opulent

décor of the period.

Gillian MacDonald, Executive Manager of Stirling Castle

In preparation for the grand opening

of the Palace in June, we have taken

on a year round team of costumed

interpreters to bring to life the 16th

Century atmosphere. We aim to make

the experience of visitors to the Castle

as fun and informative as possible,

with past feedback from visitors

indicating that they like interacting

with costumed interpreters.”

What did the refurbishment involve?“The main contract for building works was

awarded to Morris & Spottiswood, and for the

interiors, we enlisted a range of specialists,

including painters, a carver, a blacksmith and

embroiderers.

One very detailed element of the project

was the carving of the ‘Stirling Heads’ for the

ceiling of the King’s Inner Hall. The 34 original

heads will be displayed in cabinets in the first

floor gallery, so we commissioned a local carver

to recreate them out of oak for the ceiling. The

stunning new heads are now in place and

have been painted, as they would have been

in the 16th Century. These heads took carver

John Donaldson around five years to create.

A series of seven colourful tapestries were

also commissioned, depicting the tale of ‘The

Hunt of the Unicorn’. Teams in Stirling Castle

and at the West Dean studio in Sussex are

working on the tapestries, which individually

take 2-3 years to complete. This work is

ongoing, with the final tapestry due to be

hung in 2013.

The Scottish company awarded the contract

for painting the interior brought in some extra

help in the form of a team of French painters

– just as James V did in the 16th Century!”

What impact do you think the Palace project will have on the number of visitors to Stirling Castle?“We are already one of Stirling’s biggest

visitor attractions, with around 380,000

visitors per annum. We expect the Palace

refurbishment and improvements to visitor

infrastructure to increase visitor numbers

by around 20 per cent in the first year,

averaging out at 440,000 visitors per annum.

The refurbished Palace will add to Stirling’s

reputation as a world-class visitor destination.”

What other improvements are being made to visitor infrastructure at the Castle?“In addition to the £12 million Palace

project, we have improved our existing

visitor facilities, including:

Refurbishment of our three shops;

Construction of a new ticket office, with

new ticketing system allowing online

ticketing; and

Refurbishment of our café.

As part of the admission price, the audio tour

will now also be included. We want to provide

visitors with a good choice of interpretation,

including the audio, guided and themed tours;

as well as the costumed interpreters.”

9www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

10 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Spring Trade Fair on Tuesday 1�th AprilDue to the success of our first Trade Fair in September 2010,

the Executive Group of the Panel has brought forward plans for

another Fair.

Don’t miss the Spring

Trade Fairin April

Executive Group contribution to StirlingMembers of the Executive Group support the activities of the Business Panel

in order to help improve the local business environment and make Stirling a

better place to do business.

Executive Group members give up their time to carry out these duties. They

attend quarterly meetings, and spend time planning and preparing our events

to ensure their smooth running on the day.

They have also participated in meetings with Stirling Council, on subjects that

are of clear importance to the local business community, including roads,

parking, business space, city centre revitalisation and the provision of training

and skills locally. A number of Executive Group members, including Panel

Chairman, Tony Moulsdale, sit on the Stirling Economic Partnership, to ensure

the business view is not overlooked.

The Spring Trade Fair will be held on Tuesday

12th April.

We are fortunate to again have access to

Strathallan House in Castle Business Park for

the Fair. In addition to the 50 + exhibition

stands, we will also be holding ‘Speed

Networking’ sessions in the morning and

afternoon.

Speed networking allows participants

to engage on a one-to-one basis with a

number of businesses within a short space of

time. Typically, around 50 businesses can be

seen in 90 minutes.

We will be holding two sessions for local

businesses, one in the morning and one in

the afternoon.

If there are particular synergies with some

of those businesses, discussions can be

continued after the session or appointments

made, which it is hoped will lead to business.

Janet Torley of ‘Events for Business’ will

facilitate these networking sessions

Once again, we are grateful for the support that

the Panel has received for this event from our

sponsors, Central FM and the Stirling Observer.

Catering will be available throughout the day,

again provided by students from the Forth

Valley College campus at Raploch.

You can register to attend by visiting the

Panel website, www.stirlingbusinesspanel.org

or telephoning 01786 443172 .

Business Panel now tweets!Stirling Business Panel recently joined Twitter as a way of

helping to communicate information to local businesses

and give updates on what is going on locally that is likely

to be of interest to them.

As the use of online social networking by businesses

increases, we are trying to ensure that the Panel keeps up

and explores all ways that it can help the local business

community in a cost effective manner.

We are also looking at developing

a Facebook page for the Panel and

will make the membership aware of

progress later this year.

If you are already on Twitter you can find us by

searching for #BusinessPanel.

STIRLING BUSINESS PANEL

11www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Not already a Business Panel member?

Please contact Bill Fortune (Business Partnership

Executive – Stirling Council) on 0178� ���17�,

email panel@stirling.gov.uk or join online at

www.stirlingbusinesspanel.org

Stirling Business Panel– the next two years

At the inception of the Business Panel in 2009, the Executive

Group took part in a workshop to define the purpose of the

Panel and to shape the direction that the Panel should take for

its first two years of existence.

Despite the best efforts of the weather to prevent it, another

workshop was held in January (it was originally scheduled

for December). The group reviewed progress since 2009, but

more importantly, looked to the future and at ways for the

Panel to improve.

Although there will be another meeting to iron out the fine

detail, some of the points that are receiving immediate

attention are improvements to communication through social

networking mediums and the development of an events

programme, which can be published well in advance.

We hope to be in a position to launch a programme of

activities/events at the Trade Fair in April.

By combining live events with improvements to online

networking, it is hoped that more members can become

engaged in Panel activities throughout the year and not just

when we run our Survey or biannual trade events.

MEMBER PROFILEPaul Stephen,

Partner of James F Stephens Architects

Founded thirty-four years ago

in Glamis and present in Stirling

since 1996, James F Stephens

employs around 30 staff between its two offices.

Paul Stephen is a Chartered Architect Partner with the business

and manages the Stirling office. Until recently, he was president of

the Stirling Society of Architects, a Vice-President of RIAS and was

elected as a “Fellow” of Royal Institute of Architects (RIAS) in 2009.

More recently, Paul was nominated and accepted as one of twelve

architects on the RIAS Panel of Adjudicators for Scotland. This is a

prestigious appointment as there are only twelve adjudicators for

all of Scotland.

He continues to be a visiting lecturer in Professional Studies &

Management for the Faculty of Architecture at the University of

Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

Paul joined the Business Panel not only to seek business

opportunities in the Stirling area, but also to help make a wider

audience in Scotland aware of the capabilities that exist within the

local business community in Stirling.

Often overlooked by our big city neighbours, Paul feels that Stirling

businesses have a lot to offer, if the profile of the area and its

business community can be raised locally and further afield.

On the current economic situation, Paul feels positive about the

future business prospects when conditions improve. Although

the business regrettably lost staff during the downturn, the wide

range of work undertaken by the practice meant that reductions

were kept to a minimum.

This has allowed the business to be well placed to take early

advantage of any upturn in trading conditions.

In fact, having completed contracts in Salamanca in Spain and in

Rome, the business is currently pursuing international contracts, in

addition to other work in Scotland.

As well as running the Stirling office, Paul has two children aged

two and a half and four months, so is kept busy, at home as well

as in the office!

�010 Annual Business PanelSurvey resultsBecause of the terrible weather throughout December, we decided

to keep our third Annual Survey open until the end of January.

Many businesses were more focused on keeping going than

completing a survey, no matter how important the results.

As a result, Survey results will not be published until April, slightly

later than normal.

What’s your story?We continue to invite local businesses to contact the Panel at

info@stirlingbusinesspanel.org with any stories that they think

might be of interest to the local business community.

So if you have a story to tell, please get in touch. Don’t be shy!

www.stirlingbusinesspanel.org

1� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Special feature

Interview with Terry Quinn, Clydesdale Bank

Stirling Eye met up with Terry Quinn, Business Development Partner

at the Clydesdale Bank’s Financial Solutions Centre in Stirling

to find out more about accessing finance through the banks…

Terry, are the banks really

open for business?

“The Clydesdale Bank is definitely

open for business. We have made

a commitment to lend £1 billion

to the local business community in

Scotland over the next year.

While some of our competitors

have largely halted lending; for

example taking asset finance

personnel off the road, we are

actively looking for opportunities

to assist businesses to grow and

/ or make asset purchases.

Our Financial Solutions Centre

at Ochil House, Springkerse

Business Park, Stirling, is a local

decision making centre providing

a one-stop shop for business

banking needs. We are happy

to provide free advice to any

trading business.“

Who will the banks lend to?

“Fundamentally, banks are about

lending to people, not accounts.

For this reason, it is important for

people to present themselves and

their business appropriately. We

look for viable business people

with strong ideas and a really good

business plan. Ideally these people

have already talked their business

plan through with a financial

accountant, giving their proposal the

best chance possible.

Businesses should be realistic about

the finance they are looking for.

While the Clydesdale Bank has access

to funds, we are also a business and

there does need to be evidence of

how there will be a return on the

finance. If in doubt, we are always

happy to talk through your needs,

particularly if you believe you have a

strong case.”

Are there common pitfalls

that businesses should avoid

when applying for funding?

“Yes, to avoid them, I suggest you:

lKnow exactly what you want

a loan for – show what your

needs are and demonstrate how

arranged finance will meet them.

lDon’t make significant changes

to your business, personnel or

otherwise before applying for a

business loan. The bank wants to

see evidence of stability in your

business.

Can businesses do anything

to speed up applications to

the bank?

“Yes, my advice is:

lSeek advice from the bank as

early as possible – don’t leave

it until a matter of days before

a deal needs to be done.

l Enlist the help of a trusted

accountant to review your

business plan and ensure your

financials are in place.

They can also work with the

bank to get a deal on line.

lHave financial information

up-to-date and professionally

prepared. Present tangible

financial information, e.g.

projected profit and loss

accounts and cash flow

projections.

l Consider if your bank has

access to funds and is able to

lend or make decisions locally.

lCome to the bank with a clear

business plan – you need to

help the bank understand your

plans. Make sure you provide

detailed information and

never assume the bank has

detailed prior knowledge of

your business.”

lMake sure business financial

information is in place.

Around 50 per cent of clients

I see do not have them up-

to-date before they come to

the bank. Banks operate with

complete confidentiality and

will not share this information,

but they do require it in order

to process applications.

lPresent yourself and

your ideas in a fit and

proper manner. Dressing

appropriately and presenting a

strong business case helps to

instill trust.

lHave equity in the project or

business for which you are

looking for finance. If not,

the bank will question your

commitment.

lMake sure you have a solid

business plan, including

supporting financial

information. You need to

demonstrate the business

vision, how it will operate and

how it will make money. I

always recommend businesses

get professional advice on

their plan before approaching

the bank.”

To contact the Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre, please call

01786 445333 or email terry.quinn@wu.nabgroup.com .

www.cbonline.co.uk

1�www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Tips on accessing finance

Case study: Albion Drilling Group, Stirling

Stirling based Albion Drilling Group is one of the UK’s largest

independent drilling contractors, specialising in drilling,

geotechnical engineering and piling.

Albion recently completed work on Europe’s largest on-shore wind

farm at Whitelees, Galston. They blasted 5.7 million tonnes of rock

onsite, to be used for the 92 km of roads to the turbines.

Stirling Eye met up with Managing Director Eamond Murray to find out

more about a recent finance application…

Eamond, why did you approach the banks for

funding?“Following a period of rapid growth between 2005 and 2008, we

needed to increase our overdraft facility in line with the increase

in turnover. We need to finance operations for 2-3 months ahead

to cover the time taken for work to be completed, clients invoiced

and payments received. We applied to extend our overdraft, but

unfortunately, this coincided with the credit crunch and our bank was

unable to accommodate our request.

As the recession also had an impact on the construction industry and

we began to find things a bit tight, increasing our overdraft facility

became even more important.

In the end, we switched to the Clydesdale Bank, who offered us a

combined package consisting of increased overdraft facility and a

five-year term loan. Splitting the finance between an overdraft and

loan means that we don’t get into a situation where we are constantly

overdrawn while the economy returns to normal. And it suits the bank

as they have security that the loan will be repaid within five years.”

How important has the finance been?“Crucial. As the construction industry slowed down, it was critical in

enabling us to finance operations and take on new contracts.

While I expect things to remain tight for the next year or two, we have

a steady stream of contracts across the UK, including the M80/A80

upgrade and more work at Whitelees Windfarm. We also expect a

boost when work begins on the new Forth crossing.”

www.albiondrillinggroup.com

For dates of future free business Lunch & Learn sessions, please check the events section of Stirling University

Inovation Park’s website www.suip.co.uk .

How not to raise financeStirling Eye recently attended a Lunch & Learn session at

Stirling University Innovation Park on ‘How not to raise

finance’. The session included a presentation by The Company

Creators, a specialist business helping companies raise finance

and develop strategies.

The main elements of the Scottish funding market were

reported as consisting of:

l Equity finance – A small market with Scottish Enterprise

the largest single provider. Some equity available through

investment angels, but most goes into existing portfolios.

l Debt finance – available through banks, such as overdrafts,

cash flow maintenance, convertible and redeemable loans

and trading finance.

l Public sector finance – centred on funds available

through Scottish Enterprise, e.g. SEED, Co-investment and

Venture Funds.

Tips provided on preparing to apply for finance:

l Businesses should ensure they have experienced and

credible Director(s) and a personal financial commitment.

l Businesses should remember that investors WILL investigate

many things, such as financial projections, existing cash

flow and information on market opportunities.

l When planning an application, businesses should test key

assumptions, ensure they are asking for the correct amount

(not too little, not too much) and show security available for

lenders.

Tips provided on approaching prospective

backers

Businesses should:

l Present a punchy summary of their

business plan, based around the

‘three p’s’ – people, product (service)

and proposition.

l Double source their banking and

research those interested in

their sector. Getting help from

another organisation, such as a

consultant or accountant was also

recommended.

www.companycreators.co.uk

1� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

The successful premises are: Drouthy

Neebors, Albion Bar, Fubar, Corn Exchange,

Sportsters (Sports Bar & Diner), City Walls,

No.2 Baker Street, Morrisons (Cold Beer

Company) and Spingkerse View. In order

to achieve Best Bar None accreditation the licensees had to successfully

meet the scheme’s demanding criteria demonstrating and evidencing

effective management against twenty one core criteria, including staff

training, fire safety, crime prevention and compliance with trading

standards legislation.

‘Best Bar None’ is the UK’s largest accreditation scheme for licensed

premises. Now in it’s fifth year in Stirling, the scheme is open to all types

and sizes of city centre licensed pubs, bars and nightclubs.

Stirling Councillor Steven Paterson said: “By participating in this

nationally recognised scheme, licensees are making a real difference

to the residents of and visitors to Stirling’s city centre. They are clearly

demonstrating their genuine commitment to their customer’s safety

and well being, whilst also enhancing the city centre’s well established

reputation as a safe and vibrant place to be at night.”

The Best Bar None scheme currently operates in over twenty cities and

towns throughout Scotland and is recognised by the Scottish Government

as the benchmark of good practice for working with the licensed trade to

30 second interviewName: Mandy Flaws

Job title: Owner

Business: BeaDiverse, Stirling Enterprise Park

Brief company description: Sale of beads, findings, charms, threads and wires, as well as handcrafted jewellery. I

also hold jewellery-making workshops.

How do you get to work? Car

Where is your favourite place to eat out? Why? The Hollybank on Glasgow Road, Stirling. You always get great fresh, home cooked food.

What do you think the Stirling area could I think it would really benefit by offering more free activities and ‘places to go’ for

most benefit from? under 25s.

What is your favourite colour? Red

What is the best thing about doing business It is a central location, has a well-connected transport service and a wide catchment

in Stirling? area.

What do you think the biggest issue is for Overheads and property rental, I would love to have a shop in the town but as a new

businesses in the Stirling area? business could never afford it.

What is the biggest issue for your business? Getting established and the expense of marketing.

What is your favourite shop? My own - BeaDiverse, I’m like a kid in a sweetie shop and there isn’t another dedicated

bead shop in the area.

What is your greatest ambition? To do well enough in my business so I can employ staff, to establish the company and

build a reputation for good products and customer service.

BeaDiverse: 0178� ��9��� www.beadiverse.co.uk

Best Bar None Awards 2010

achieve good standards across a range of evening economy policies

and practices.

The management and implementation of the scheme is undertaken

by a working group, which comprises key stakeholders of Stirling’s

Community Planning Partnership. These are Central Scotland Fire &

Rescue Service, Central Scotland Police, Safer Cities Initiative, Stirling

Council (Trading Standards) and Forth Valley Alcohol & Drugs Partnership.

Planning has begun for Stirling’s 2011 Best Bar None scheme. For

further information please contact Peter Walker (Safer Cities Co-ordinator,

Stirling Council) on 01786 443137, email walkerp@stirling.gov.uk .

Nine of Stirling’s city centre licensed premises successfully gained a highly acclaimed ‘Best Bar None’ award in 2010.

1�www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Friends of DunblaneFriends of Dunblane received £900 towards producing promotional leaflets for the recently

refurbished Dunblane Museum. Following Heritage Lottery funding the much enlarged

museum now includes a stunning new building and houses a collection of fascinating

artefacts, paintings, prints and photographs about the Cathedral and Dunblane.

The support from the Tourism Development Grant enabled the Friends to produce a

colourful leaflet aimed at visitors promoting Dunblane Museum, Dunblane Cathedral and

the Leighton Library, Scotland’s oldest private library.

Feature - Tourism Development Grant SchemeStirling Council runs a tourism small grant scheme, which is designed to encourage collaboration between local tourism businesses and to develop innovative tourism products and improve the local tourism product offering. Recent awards been made to a diverse range of tourism businesses.

1�www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

If you are involved in a collaborative tourism project, which might be eligible for support,

you can contact Jason Clark (Tourism Executive, Stirling Council) for more information and an

application form. Jason can be contacted on 01786 442532 or email clarkj@stirling.gov.uk .

Love Loch LomondLove Loch Lomond is a recently formed industry led destination organisation that works on a

collaborative basis to capitalise on the areas strong tourism potential by marketing the area as a

must see year round destination through its new website www.lovelochlomond.com .

The new industry-led organisation aims to transform the way tourism services are delivered

and promoted in and around the Loch Lomond area. They have recieved £475, towards

development of the web portal.

Loch Earn Tourism Initiative

Local eventsLocal events have also benefited, The

Callander Jazz & Blues Festival received

£2,000 towards bus hire, marketing and PR

costs for the expanded 2010 Festival.

Graham Oliphant, Festival Director, said: “The

2010 Festival greatly benefited from Stirling

Council’s Tourism Grant. It enabled us to

provide a free bus service to all the outlying

festival venues in both the Trossachs and

rural Stirlingshire. The grant also allowed

us to increase and extend our promotional

activity to mainland Europe resulting in

increased visitor numbers to the event.”

The Trossachs Mushroom Festival was

awarded £2,000, towards marketing and PR

costs for the 2010 Festival.

Loch Earn Tourism Initiative (LETI )

recently received £2,000 towards

website content enhancement,

link building and PR for the

www.robroycountry.com website.

LETI is funded by accommodation

and hospitality business owners

living and working in the villages

of Strathyre, Lochearnhead and

Balquhidder. Annual membership

fees and volunteers help to

maintain the website.

Kim Proven from LETI said: “Thanks to our

Tourism Development Grant we are able to

plan and experiment with PR and marketing

projects that will result in fresh content,

more inbound and reciprocal links, maps,

press campaigns, business pages and

social networking. We also aim to test

key word advertising soon.“

“We are sure that we will attract more

website traffic, which we can easily

measure against results from last year. Our

aim is to attract more day trippers and holiday

makers to visit, spend and return to this

stunning area of central Scotland that we are

all very proud of.”

1� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Business space developments

Industrial

Munro RoadJ & E Shepherd has confirmed that space is gradually being taken up in Muddy Field’s new build

development in Munro Road, Springkerse Industrial Estate. Three units are now occupied with the latest

occupier, J & G Environmental, taking 376 sq m (4,050 sq ft) of space.

For more information on remaining space at Munro Road, please contact Sandy Falconer of J & E

Shepherd on 01786 450438, email sandy.falconer@shepherd.co.uk or John Quinn on

07876 658980, email john.quinn@rokholdings.co.uk .

Whitehouse Road J & E Shepherd has also confirmed that a substantial new build

speculative industrial development (with limited trade counter

consent) in Whitehouse Road is scheduled to start on site in April,

with completion expected by November 2011.

The development will extend to 3,530 sq m (38,000 sq ft) and

will provide a range of units from 116 sq m (1,250 sq ft). Quoting

rental is £65 per sq m (£6 per sq ft) and flexible lease terms are

being offered.

Ogilvie are constructing the units on behalf of the Fergusson Group,

who are headquartered at nearby Castlecraig Business Park.

For details on lease opportunities at Whitehouse Road, please

contact Ian Fergusson or Sandy Falconer of J & E Shepherd on

01786 450438, email ian.fergusson@shepherd.co.uk

or sandy.falconer@shepherd.co.uk .

IMEX Business CentreThe Salvation Army recently took up an additional two units at

Imex Business Park, Broadleys.

Andrew Peel of letting agents Graham & Sibbald commented: “To

achieve the letting of six units to the Salvation army has proved

a massive boost to Imex Business Centre in the challenging

economic climate. Although small office space remains, the

workshop space within the Centre is now fully let.”

Information on remaining space within Imex Business Centre is

available from Andrew Peel of Graham & Sibbald on

01786 463111, email apeel@g-s.co.uk .

Bandeath Industrial EstateGraham & Sibbald has been appointed joint letting agent along

with Ryden for the Stirling Development Agency’s industrial space

at Bandeath Industrial Estate, Throsk. More information on lease

opportunities are available from Andrew Peel of Graham & Sibbald

on 01786 463111, email apeel@g-s.co.uk or Neil McAllister of

Ryden on 0131 225 6612, email neil.mcallister@ryden.co.uk .

Planning applications updateThe following planning applications with a significant business focus have

been submitted to Stirling Council since the last edition of Stirling Eye

(November 2010) and are still being considered, pending a decision:

l An application by Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd for erection

of extension to existing store including a mezzanine floor (to

accommodate new café), new entrance lobby, revised service yard

access, associated car parking and landscaping (2,700 sq m gross

increase from existing floorspace) at Sainsbury’s, Back O’Hill Road,

Stirling.

l An application by the Angling Centre Stirling Ltd for a new angling

centre with residential accommodation above (388 sq m) on land

north and adjacent to Craigforth roundabout, Stirling.

l An application by Gladman Developments Limited for erection of

a mixed use development comprising Class 4 business use, Class

1 retail store, petrol filling station and associated access, parking

and other works and environmental improvements (3,900 sq m

supermarket, 4,000 sq m gross offices) on land near Dunblane

Cemetery, Barbush.

The following planning applications have been approved:

l An application by Hemga Ltd for change of use from Class 1

retail to Class 3 deli and café (72 sq m) at 37 Thistles Centre, Stirling.

l An application by HSBC Bank Plc for change of use from Class 1

to Class 2 and alterations to shop front (303 sq m) at 6 Murray

Place, Stirling.

The following planning application has been supported in principle but is

subject to detailed negotiations to draw up planning agreements:

lAn application by Allan Water Developments Plc for erection of a

supermarket (6,064 sq m) at the site of the former MFI furniture

store, Maitland Crescent, St Ninian’s, Stirling.

Planning applications correct at start February �011.

Planning schedules can be viewed at

www.stirling.gov.uk/planningschedule

17www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Looking for commercial property? Visit www.stirling.gov.uk/property

Gladstone Place, StirlingProperty agents J

& E Shepherd are

relocating in April to

refurbished offices

at Gladstone Place, Stirling. They are also acting

on behalf of the owner, Kings Park Properties,

in relation to remaining office space extending

to 145 sq m (1,560 sq ft) available for lease in

whole or part.

Further information on remaining space is

available from Sandy Falconer of J & E Shepherd

on 01786 450438, email sandy.falconer@

shepherd.co.uk.

Office

Case study: Barracks, ForthsideStirling Eye caught up with property agents Peter Fleming of Montagu Evans and

Andrew Peel of Graham & Sibbald to find out more about space being marketed at

the Barracks in Forthside, Stirling…

Where are the Barracks?“The Barracks are located within the Forthside area of Stirling,

between Stirling railway station and the River Forth. Recent

developments at Forthside include a multi-screen cinema,

restaurants, and housing. The 16 hectare (40 acre) development is

regenerating the banks of the River Forth and the new pedestrian

bridge provides access over the railway lines to the Barracks.”

What current opportunities are there?“There are a total of five historic Barracks buildings, offering

approximately 4,645 sq m (50,000 sq ft) of space, suitable for a

variety of uses including offices.”

What recent occupiers have you had?“Barrack A was sold to provide the headquarters for Volunteer

Development Scotland and the first floor of Barrack B was

recently let to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.”

Success for Innovation Park’s rent-a-desk initiativeStirling University Innovation Park (SUIP) has launched

a new initiative to help young ambitious companies

achieve their potential.

The scheme offers small businesses the benefits of a

large established company with reception facilities,

administration services, meeting rooms and on-site coffee shop.

Lynn Blaikie, SUIP, said: “I realised from our enquiries that sole traders, start-up and small

companies were experiencing difficulty in procuring the type of space they required at a cost

they could afford. I looked at how we could help and came up with the Rent-a-Desk concept

which offers an all–inclusive package in a shared office environment.”

The Rent-a-Desk initiative offers flexible accommodation, broadband access, telephone,

utilities and business rates at an all-inclusive cost of £150 per month.

One of the companies involved in the initial piloting of the rent-a-desk initiative was

software and consultancy company Pracius Ltd. Alan Douglas, owner, said: “Operating from

a working office environment is focused and productive. However what also makes Rent-a-

Desk so worth while, is the whole atmosphere of the Innovation Park. There’s the buzz of

other businesses, the good coffee shop, the gym at the University, and during the summer a

quick walk to the Loch to help recharge the batteries.”

For more information, please visit www.suip.co.uk .

What improvement works are being carried out?“Following the letting to the Water Industry Commission for

Scotland, the Landlords, CTP Ltd have undertaken a comprehensive

refurbishment of Barrack B, with the ground floor also being

brought up to a high standard of office accommodation. All ground

works around the buildings have also been completed, further

improving the appearance of the site.”

How are enquiries holding up?“There are a number of ongoing enquiries and we hope to

announce details in the near future.”

To find out more on lease or sale opportunities at the Barracks please contact Peter Fleming of Montagu Evans on 0131 229 3800, email peter.fleming@montagu-evans.co.uk or Andrew Peel of Graham & Sibbald on 0178� ���111, email apeel@g-s.co.uk .

Work in progress at the Barracks.

Business space developments

Ceteris case study Stirling Eye met up with Angela

Ogilvie, Operations Director of Ceteris

to find out more about serviced office

accommodation at Springfield House,

Laurelhill Business Park, Stirling…

Angela, what is Ceteris?“Ceteris is a Private Company Limited by guarantee. We own

and manage 250,000 sq ft of flexible business accommodation

in Stirling and Clackmannanshire, deliver Business Gateway in

Clackmannanshire and run Gean House, a conference centre in Alloa.”

Can you tell us more about Springfield House?“We acquired Springfield House at Laurelhill Business Park, Stirling,

nine years ago. We chose the building because of its high quality

design and strategic location in Kings Park, close to the city centre.

The double height entrance and unusual cherry wood spiral staircase

are particularly impressive.

Originally open-plan, we subdivided the building to provide bespoke

space to individual requirements. Services include conferencing

facilities and reception services, through to cleaning, franking

and photocopying. Joan and Isobel, our

reception staff, are excellent and their helpful attitude and

warm and friendly manner are an essential part of our service.

We currently have 10 tenants at Springfield House, employing over

80 people.”

Has the recession had an impact?“We lost one or two bigger tenants, but we have adapted to

changing needs, redeveloping and subdividing suites to meet

demand for smaller space. Things are improving and our occupancy

is now up to 90 per cent.”

Do you have available space in Stirling?“We are currently marketing 1,300 sq ft of space, with units ranging

from 207 sq ft to 323 sq ft. We can be flexible with the space

provided, for example, combining units.

We provide flexible quarter-to-quarter agreements; though longer

agreements can be accommodated if required; and services can be

included in the rent.”

Tenant case studies…

Name of business: The Leadership FactoryAbout the business: Established in 2007, The Leadership Factory provides businesses with

organisational development support. Their team of qualified coaches cover all functional disciplines and

work with organisations such as Scottish Enterprise, Alexander Dennis and Nick Nairn’s Cook School.

Why located at Springfield House: Dr Andy Kelly, Director, said: “We chose to locate here

in 2010 because it is central, less than five minutes from the motorway, has easy parking and provides a

quiet site. In addition, the offices are fully serviced with reception, admin support and meeting rooms.”

www.leadershipfactory.co.uk

Name of business: Cloud Street LtdAbout the business: Cloud Street design and build database applications, business management

systems and data-driven web sites, using Microsoft Access and SQL Server database platforms. They work with

a range of businesses across the UK, from small businesses through to Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Why located at Springfield House: Paul Midgely, Managing Director, said: “We are doubling the size

of our development team and have moved into a bigger office at Springfield House. We liked the professional

look and feel of the offices and the pleasant location. Factoring in all the services, we have secured a really

competitive package.”

www.cloudstreet.co.uk

To find out more about available serviced office accommodation at Springfield House, Laurelhill Business Park, please

contact Angela Ogilvie on 01259 721454.

18 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

19www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy 19

Stirling Council works with Lynne Jones

Research to produce an annual visitor

perception study. The research is based on

an electronic survey, which is emailed to

visitors after they return home. The overall

number of email addresses collected from

visitors to Stirling city in 2009/2010 was

3,750, with 1,293 actual survey responses, a

response rate of 34 per cent.

The survey reported an overall positive

performance in 2009/10. Customer

service throughout the city showed an

improvement with higher scores than the

previous year. Whilst cleanliness in the city

took a small dip, the overall rating of visitors

experience remains high.

Latest City of Stirling Visitor Survey published

19www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Key findingsl Overseas visitors remain the largest overall group (43%) up from 39% in 2008/09.

Visitors from England (22%) were mostly from the North West and South East and a

third of all visitors were from within Scotland.

l North America remains key with 30% of the overseas sample; Germany and Spain

are increasingly important European markets.

l Stirling Castle remains a major influence in the decision to visit Stirling; history is a

key driver, especially for overseas visitors.

l Stirling continues to attract a high percentage of first time visitors (57%).

l In terms of age profile, visitors aged between 25 and 34 was the most common

age group.

l Those staying in Stirling stayed an average of 2.6 nights, up slightly on last

year’s figure of 2.5 nights.

l Accommodation offering is highly rated, 86% of staying visitors had their

accommodation expectations matched or exceeded during their stay.

However, this is a decrease of five per cent on last year.

l Private and rented car remain most popular means of visiting (73%).

Trains were used by 14% although 20% of overseas visitors arrived by

train compared to only 10% of UK visitors.

l The survey again highlighted Stirling as key gateway to the Loch

Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, as well as a leading short

break destination in its own right.

The city’s historical connection and its

world-class attractions continue to be

important assets and key drivers. In fact, the

significance of Stirling Castle in attracting

visitors to the city appears greater than

previous years with 73 per cent of visitors

indicating that the castle had been a factor

influencing their decision to visit.

The accommodation offering overall is

highly rated. However, satisfaction with

service decreased slightly compared with

previous years. Watch points continue to

be the eating and drinking experience.

Although responses on eating out

establishments in terms of service was up

on previous years, day visitors appear to be

least impressed

by the quality of

food.

An area of

concern is the

reduction in visitors walking around the

city, down from 71 per cent to 56 per cent.

This may be having a negative impact

on the local economy. Overnight visitors

spend appears to be down both for UK and

overseas visitors, while day visitor spend is

up slightly.

The results of the latest 12-month survey

(July 2009 to August 2010) are available at

www.stirling.gov.uk/visitorsurvey .

Tourism is vital to Stirling’s economy, accounting for over £374 million of revenue in

2009. A clear understanding of visitor perceptions of the city and our tourism offering is

key. What are the key drivers for our visitors in making the decision to come to Stirling?

Where do they come from? How do they rate our visitor attractions, accommodation,

food and drink offering, transport, information provision, parking, transport,

cleanliness and customer service?

Retail update

Retail updateScotland’s retail sector is worth £�� billion

to the economy and accounts for around

��0,000 jobs. Across Scotland, retail growth

has been slowing, vacancy rates increasing

and average rental levels decreasing due to

the recession (Scottish Town Centres; GVA

Grimley, �010).

In Stirling city centre, prime retail rents

and yields decreased between �009 and

�010. There was also an increase in vacant

retail property, although there has been

improvement since the start of the year.

On a positive note, Stirling city centre has

improved its VenueScore retail ranking,

moving up to sixth place in Scotland from

seventh (Stirling City Centre; DTZ, �010).

Impact of the recessionAndy Kennedy, Stirling City Centre Manager, made comment on the

impact of the recession on Stirling city centre…

Sector feature

“The recession saw a `perfect storm`

for town and city centres. Already

suffering from changes in consumer

behaviour, growth of internet retailing

and increased costs of operation within

town centres, the recession resulted in

a UK wide reduction in footfall.

By mid 2009 the effects of the storm

were clear in the number of vacant

units appearing throughout UK town

and city centres. In 2009 alone 9,500

retail businesses closed and 7,500

national chain units also closed,

creating vacancy levels in some towns

of 35 per cent. Stirling’s city centre

vacancy rate peaked at 13.5 per cent

in March 2009, below the national

average of 15 per cent.

The recession also affected the pub

and restaurant trade in town and city

centres. At the peak of the recession

an average of three pubs per week

were closing. In addition, significant

change in the licensing laws and new

responsibilities through legislation

had brought increased burden on

individual operators.

The recession also meant that

a number of major town centre

schemes were put on hold or ceased

altogether. This issue has still to

be resolved and new financial

mechanisms are being debated to

reinvigorate necessary mixed use

development in town centres.

As the recession eased slightly in 2010,

businesses were hit with additional

costs through increased business rates.

The increase saw implementation of

a commercial property revaluation,

Winter weather…Colin Moulson, Manager of Stirling’s Thistles Shopping

Centre made comment on the winter weather…

“December was the coldest on record and Stirling experienced some of the

heaviest snow fall in living memory. It may come as a surprise then that

December 2010 was one of the best on record for the

Thistles Centre.”

“Customer numbers were up by around 10 per

cent on December 2009, with the extreme winter

weather benefiting us in a number of ways.

Confidence in internet purchasing dropped as

many large retailers announced that they

could not guarantee Christmas delivery. The

weather related disruption to the road and rail

networks also meant that a lot of local people

decided to do their Christmas shopping in

Stirling, instead of Edinburgh or Glasgow.”

www.thethistles.com

�0 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Interview with Iain McCarren, Store Manager, SlatersStirling Eye met up with Iain McCarren, Store

Manager of Slaters in Stirling, to find out more

about retailing in the current climate…

Iain, can you tell us more about Slaters?“Slaters is a family owned national retailer. Slaters’ Stirling store opened around four years ago

and employs 16 people. We specialise in menswear, hirewear and corporate wear, supplying

uniforms to local businesses such as car garages, the Terraces Hotel, Doubletree by Hilton

Dunblane Hydro, the Aurora Hotel Group and the University of Stirling.

Our clientele range from the very young to the older generation. We have been getting more

young people in for suits during the prom season, so we have extended our range to offer more

slim fitting suits too.

The ethos of Slaters is quality goods with discounted branded names; vast selection of

menswear; value for money with goods sold below the recommended retail price; and, ‘quality

of service’ – our unique selling point!”

How do you ensure quality of service?“Having the right staff is very important. Our staff are enthusiastic, well

trained and empowered. Our model is based on repeat business and we

aim to make customers feel comfortable, allowing people to browse or

spend time with staff, no matter how big or small their purchase.

We also have local discretion; so on the rare occasion that there is

a customer issue, our staff take measures to resolve these to the

customer’s satisfaction. Customers work hard for their money and the

least they should expect is good service.

Other elements that make our business model a success are providing free alterations

at time of purchase or at a later date, and, an excellent refund and exchange returns policy.”

Has the economic downturn or VAT increase impacted upon sales?“We started to notice a change in 2008, following the collapse of Northern Rock at the end of 2007.

Every trade was affected, but on a positive note, we haven’t lost as much as we initially expected.

We have worked harder with the customers we have, and despite the recession, many of our 25

stores have grown over the last couple of years.

In Stirling, we had a slight drop in sales, but things improved last year and we were up on the

previous year.

We did not have any decrease in sales in January as a result of the VAT increase. I suspect that it

will affect all businesses to some degree, but I don’t think it will have a great impact on Slaters.

One change is that more customers are paying for goods in cash, rather than on credit card.

People are being more conscientious about what they spend, but I think confidence in the

market is returning.”

www.slaters.co.uk

Retail updateSector feature

which had taken place in early

2008. It resulted in businesses being

given an additional burden at a time

when revenues were low. The small

business rate relief scheme did help

a number of smaller businesses, but

many businesses in town centres did

not benefit due to the high perceived

values of town centre premises.

Stirling is now seeing improvement,

with a current vacancy rate of eight

per cent and this is set to drop further

due to property occupations that are

still to be finalised. We do have a

particular issue with King Street. It has

been suffering for a number of years

from significant vacancy, but other

areas are healthy relative to other

town and city centres.

We are working with property owners

and occupiers in King Street through the

Stirling City Heritage Trust, to improve

the appearance. However, it is also

the responsibility of property owners

generally to play a part in ensuring the

city centre can respond to the issues

and opportunities facing all core urban

areas in the next 5-10 years.

Business occupiers can also help

– the importance of customer service

and business presentation has never

been greater, and that starts before

a potential customer enters the

premises.”

See article on page 22 for Andy’s advice

on the presentation of shop fronts.

�1www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

The good, the bad and the uglyAndy Kennedy, Stirling City Centre Manager provided some tips on how retailers can

maximise the impact of their shop front to entice in customers. Andy’s key pointers are:

l Clean shop front --- Obvious but often

not ensured. People may take any excuse

not to come in and cleanliness is a key

influence

l Clear signage --- Is the main signage

cluttered and confusing or does it tell the

passer by the story in a few seconds?

l Accessible shop --- Is the product

restricting access especially for the

disabled or those with sight difficulties?

l Windows should not be cluttered --- Does

the window make sense and explain the

function of the business without obstruction?

l Colourful and eye catching --- Displays

should be constructed with different

heights/colours/product and draw the

eye.

l Fresh product --- Has the product been

in the window too long or is it fresh

and interesting? Is there something

different for the passerby to consider?

l Clear opening hours --- Are they

displayed prominently and clearly,

or is the customer entering the shop

with no idea of the time they can

dwell?

Sector feature Retail update

The good

l Good building condition --- The effort

made with the window display and all of

the above can be undermined totally by

the state of the building. `Good picture but

terrible frame`.

The bad

This picture shows a shop

front with clear accessibility

issues. The narrow doorway

is obstructed by products and

is not welcoming or inviting.

This doorway would be

difficult to manoeuvre say for

someone in a wheelchair or

pushing a buggy.

The ugly

This picture shows a dirty

shop front. This will put off

customers, people don’t want

to buy clothes or products

where there is any question

about cleanliness or hygiene.

This picture shows a window

where little effort has been

made to display products in

an organised, eye catching or

clear fashion.

This picture

shows an

example of

a clear and

eye-catching

shop front. It

is clear just

by glancing at

the sign what

the shop is

selling.

Using examples from outside the Stirling Council area, Andy commented on the following examples of good, bad and ugly shop fronts….

Andy Kennedy, City Centre Manager, played for Stirling Albion between 1976 and 1983. The photo shows Andy scoring a goal against Dumbarton at Annfield, Stirling Albion’s former ground, now a housing estate.

�� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Paul’s backgroundPaul has been interested in photography

and radio since he was a boy and his first

job was as a DJ on a radio station in Devon.

As Programme Director he went on to run

radio stations including Viking FM in Hull,

Galaxy 102 in Manchester and Vibe FM in

East Anglia.

When the Scottish Radio company that

owned Radio Clyde bought Vibe, Paul was

asked to come to Glasgow to head up Clyde

1 and Clyde 2. Once in Scotland, Paul met

his wife Sarah and they now have a young

daughter Katie.

In a 20 year radio career Paul worked with

a number of famous people including Cheryl

Cole, Bryan Adams, Paul Weller and Dannii

Minogue. His favourite experience though

was producing a programme with Stevie

Wonder who played piano and sang just for

Paul and the presenter Billy Sloan.

Starting up in businessPaul started up his businesses last summer.

He explained: “I wanted to work for myself

combining my passions for media and

photography. Running my own businesses

means that I can choose what I work on. I

love the creative side of media, but as I

moved higher up on the management side

of radio, I became further removed from this

side of work.”

“Throughout my career I’ve moved around

the UK, but feel very much at home in this

part of the world. Establishing my own

businesses has allowed me to become

more settled and Drymen is an ideal base,

with the stunning Loch Lomond scenery

and its excellent links to Stirling and

Glasgow.”

Paul did a lot of research before setting up

his businesses, and has spent time with

some of the UK’s leading photographers to

enhance his skills. Paul said: “In addition to

my own research and learning, I received

really useful advice from Business Gateway

in Stirling.”

Looking to the futurePaul aims to offer organisations a route

into the digital world with fresh, new,

creative ideas to make an impact. He

said: “Throughout 2011 I plan to increase

the number of businesses I work with in

the Stirling area, both as suppliers and as

clients.”

Paul’s advice to others starting out in

business is to make sure that they present

themselves creatively.

Paul said: “It’s actually easy to make an

impact, to stand tall of your competitors

just by taking a step back and thinking

differently.”

www.paulsaundersmedia.com

www.paulsaundersphotography.com

An example of Paul Saunders portrait photography

The Lonely Planet magazine recently featured one of Paul’s cityscapes taken in New York. ©

Pau

l Sau

nder

s Ph

otog

raph

y

Business profile Drymen based Paul Saunders runs two businesses – Paul Saunders

Media and Paul Saunders Photography.

Through his media business, Paul helps organisations

develop creative and powerful communication. He’s

already worked with a number of organisations including

Save The Children and Yorkhill Childrens Foundation

and produces videos and podcasts. Paul has also produced a series of weekly

podcasts for top Scottish comedian Des McLean which have received thousands of

downloads via I-Tunes.

Paul’s photography business specialises in portrait photography using natural

light. Paul uses clients homes, their gardens as well as parks to make a more

enjoyable photo shoot, which in turn produces better results.

Paul explained: “I’ve found that because so many people are fed up with studio shots,

using locations that are more personal makes for a much more relaxed shoot with images

that capture the personality of the subjects and produce beautiful pictures to treasure.”

Paul Saunders Media & Photography

��www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

© M

J Cl

ark

�� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

At your service Land Services Land Services At your service

LAND SERVICESLand Services maintain the horticultural and public amenity realm within the Stirling

Council boundary, as well as countryside sites to promote tourism, public safety, and

to generally enhance the appearance of the city and the surrounding countryside to

contribute to the economy of the area.

The service is extremely diverse, split over various Council buildings and can be contacted on 0845

277 7000, email info@stirling.gov.uk.

Abandoned vehiclesIdentify and remove abandoned

vehicles on public land.

AllotmentsPromote the establishment of

allotments and public gardens.

Manage and maintain allotment

sites at Cornton Road, Bridge of

Allan and Bridgehaugh.

Contact 01786 443823.

BiodiversityBiodiversity is the variety of

life around us. Promotion of

biodiversity via free outdoor

events and action days, biological

recording and addressing factors

affecting rare and threatened

species and habitats.

CemeteriesProvide and maintain burial

grounds throughout the area at

62 separate sites including one

woodland burial site. Management

of a Memorial Mason Registration

Scheme ensures a consistent

standard of workmanship and

working practices in relation to

memorials at all cemeteries.

Contact 01786 442559.

The Land Services team provide a wide range of services, including:

Education and enforcementProvide educational talks and

promote educational campaigns.

Carry out the administration and

school inspections relating to the

Schools Litter Initiative Trophies,

awarded annually. Investigate

and enforce litter and fly tipping

offences, issuing fixed penalty

fines and/or submitting reports to

the Procurator Fiscal as necessary.

Provide educational talks and

promote educational campaigns.

Investigate and enforce litter and

fly tipping offences.

FisheriesStirling Council own the fishing

rights for salmon and sea trout

on parts of the River Forth and

the River Teith, providing a well-

managed public salmon fishery for

the benefit of both residents and

visitors, whilst promoting salmon

and sea trout conservation.

Contact 01786 442932.

Grounds maintenanceMaintenance of parks and open

space including trees and their

leaves, hedges, street furniture,

weeds and planted areas, open

space signage, seasonal grass

cutting, weed spraying and

vegetation clearance.

Parks and open spacesManage Stirling’s outdoors,

from urban parks and open

spaces to remote and wild areas

of land and water, to provide

opportunities for open-air

recreation. Develop masterplans

for the parks to transform them

to meet the needs of the whole

community and to provide leisure

and pleasure for residents, visitors

and tourists.

Play areas Safety inspections, repair and

maintainance of play equipment

in over 90 public play areas.

Ranger serviceRangers deal with countryside

access, biodiversity, environmental

education, and promote an

awareness and understanding of

the countryside, as well as caring

for and enhancing the natural

heritage enjoyed by visitors.

Street cleaning, litter and litter binsProvide a service for removal of

litter and street sweeping seven

days a week, targeting town

centres, neighbourhoods and main

thoroughfares, and the operation

of a graffiti removal service.

This groundwork is supported

by education awareness and

enforcement campaigns in the

battle against litter. The service is

also responsible for the provision

of all public litter bins.

WoodlandsManagement of woodlands,

which preserves the landscape

and supports the local economy.

Woodlands contribute to the

tourism industry as well as

supporting the craft, construction

and manufacturing industries.

National

It costs Stirling Council nearly £35,000 every week to keep the streets clean – that’s £1.8 million each year.

��www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Land Services At your service

Willie Clark and Stephen Kerr, Land Service Operatives.

What goes in to keeping the streets clean?It is a constant challenge keeping Stirling’s streets clean. A daily

challenge faced by Stephen Kerr, Willie Clark and their colleagues who

are out on the beat on our streets.

Their daily work involves gum removal, graffiti removal, clearing

leaves, litter picking, emptying litterbins and clearing fly tipping.

Power washing the streets and cleaning street furniture is also carried

out in the city centre to further enhance its appearance for businesses,

visitors and tourists. Stirling’s audited cleanliness score is higher than

the national average.

As well as their planned daily work, events often occur that require

immediate attention such as a recent oil spill.

In mid January, a call was received informing the team of an accident in

the city centre. The rising bollard on Port Street that keeps traffic out of

the pedestrianised area was lowered to provide access for a delivery van.

Unfortunately, even with warning signs in place, another vehicle tried to

creep in behind the van as the bollard raised. This ripped the oil sump

out of the vehicle and left oil all over the city centre pavement.

Stephen and Willie were at the scene within 20 minutes. They used

absorbent coconut husk shavings to absorb the oil. Once absorbed, the

debris was removed and the street was cleaned.

Stephen said: “We often have to react to priority incidents that impact

on our daily work. When we were called to the oil spill it was clear

that we had to work fast because of the health and safety implications

and for the sake of the public and businesses around us.“

Land Services Protection Officers

PROFILE

Name: Jim Fisher and Malcolm Roy

Role:To provide a high profile presence in public places to

discourage littering, dog fouling, fly posting, fly tipping,

graffiti and chewing gum dispersal to keep the streets clean

for residents, tourists and visitors, taking enforcement action

where necessary to promote litter prevention.

Current workload:Jim and Malcolm are the officers responsible for litter

enforcement and fly tipping enforcement for the whole of the

Stirling Council area.

They work on high profile enforcement campaigns such

as litter awareness week and dog fouling week. These

campaigns see the police and community wardens join Jim

and Malcolm to increase the amount of officers patrolling the

streets, issuing fixed penalty notices for litter and dog fouling

offences.

The biggest problem in the city centre is smoking related

litter. To ensure that this problem didn’t spiral out of control,

the officers proposed that all bins located in the city centre

should be those with ashtrays on top. This was implemented

and did improve the problem. However, this is still a major

issue with 95 per cent of city centre fines in 2010 relating to

smoking litter.

Fly tipping is also an issue that keeps Jim and Malcolm busy.

This is a problem in urban areas as well as the rural countryside.

Not only is fly tipping unsightly, it costs taxpayers money.

Officers investigate all instances of fly tipping as well as arrange

for its removal.

Jim and Malcolm also give educational talks to schools. They are

currently working on the cleaner routes to schools campaign and

the Land Services litter initiative trophy. These campaigns are

designed to educate pupils on litter and encourage them to take

an active role in improving their local area.

Spring Clean 14th March – 16th May 2011Scotland’s biggest annual clean up is back!There are various ways that your business or workplace can get

involved, by joining in a litter pick or donating equipment, refreshments

or prizes to litter pickers. A litter pick can also be a great team-building

exercise and businesses can build good community relationships whilst

making a positive and visible difference to the area.

For more information, please call 01786 443555

or email fisherj2@stirling.gov.uk.

�� STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

New wedding venue with a difference

© K

ingd

om P

hoto

s

The Stirling Wedding Show – matching local brides to local businessesIs your business involved in the multi-million pound wedding industry? Then you may be

interested in attending the Stirling Wedding Show in the Albert Halls. As Stirling Eye

went to print, final preparations were being made for the Show on March 27th. There

will also be a Show on September 18th this year. Now in its third year, the event has

grown rapidly to become the biggest event of its kind in the Central Region, and

this year has attracted support from the Scottish Wedding Directory, the bride-to-

be’s bible.

Show Organiser Marie Kerr of Kippen based Kingdom Photos said: “We’ve worked

really hard marketing the Show, attracting hundreds of visitors. We aim to connect

local buyers with local suppliers at the top of their game. The Show is about quality,

not quantity, and we give our brides a breadth of choice and interest across the 65

plus exhibitors. You can source everything for your big day from a rickshaw to a

magician, venue to tiara, gowns and favours and much much more!”

“Every exhibitor has their own Gallery on the Show website, with links to their

websites. We are actively promoting a circle of excellence locally 52 weeks of

the year, helping our brides source more services from leading local businesses. It’s

a real win-win and hugely beneficial to exhibitors.”

To find out more, please contact Marie on 01786 870903 or watch the Show highlights video at www.stirlingweddingshow.co.uk

Callander based Red Kite Yurts

recently held an open day at

Touch House to showcase their

new wedding and events venue

– a fully decorated 200 person

capacity handcrafted yurt!

This is a new venture for Red

Kite Yurts, a small rural craft

business, already the leading

provider of yurts to the Scottish

market. The business produces

yurts using traditional steam-

bent construction techniques

learned in Kyrgyzstan and honed

to perfection in Scotland.

Nathan Millard, who runs

Red Kite Yurts with his

father, said: “As people become

more environmentally aware,

the wedding yurts offer couples

a truly sensational ‘green’

alternative to traditional hotel

or marquee weddings. We also

provide luxurious and eco-

friendly yurts across the UK to

campsites, hostels and hotels.”

“The popularity of yurts

has led to the blossoming

of the ‘glamping’ and the

‘DIY wedding’ markets, and

mushroom fields of yurts can

now be found clustering around

summer festivals as luxury

accommodation.”

The luxurious wedding yurt was

brightly decorated on the day,

and really stood out amidst

the stunning setting of Touch

Estate, near Cambusbarron.

Local businesses involved in the

showcase, were:

l Kingdom Photos of Kippen,

who also run the Stirling

Wedding Show in the Albert

Halls.

l Alison Kirk Bridal provided

the bridal wear.

Alison Kirk

Bridal is located in the Stirling

Arcade and was a runner up at

last year’s Hilton Vows Awards.

l Kiltpin of Falkirk supplied the

grooms wear.

l Jennifer Morrison Florist of

Spittal Street, Stirling, provided

the flowers for the event.

www.redkiteyurts.com©

Kin

gdom

Pho

tos

�7www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is bringing life to learning and

learning to life in Scotland. By taking a fresh approach to what,

how and where young people learn it aims to raise standards of

learning and teaching and help improve the life chances for all children

and young people. Ultimately it aims to nurture young people as successful

learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

Wallace High/Highland SpringSenior Business Management pupils from Wallace High

School have been investigating the production process

at Highland Spring. Following an in-depth discussion

between the school, the organisation and Determined

to Succeed, a tailor-made tour was created that

included members of Highland Spring’s staff talking

about their particular roles. This experience has allowed pupils to make links between theory

and industry, and Wallace High School is keen to develop this relationship in the future.

Doune Primary School / Dragon’s DenThe P6’s at Doune Primary School did their own

‘Dragon’s Den’ pitching their business plans to the

Dragon (Head Teacher Jane McManus) and winning

financial support for their craft products that were then

sold for a profit at the school’s Christmas Concert.

CfE is important to the business sector because it focuses on the core skills of

literacy, numeracy, problem solving, team working and communication – skills that

businesses have identified as often missing at the recruitment stage.

Local employers can get involved to ensure

the curriculum addresses these business

needs. Business partnerships can bring

real inspiration and relevance to young

peoples’ education and in turn can provide

the motivation, skills and drive needed

to create a dynamic and more prosperous

Scotland. Businesses can gain from the

input young people bring in terms of

innovation and fresh ideas as well as staff

development and a raised profile and

reputation in the community.

Employers already provide valuable help and

assistance in delivering many of the initiatives

that Stirling Council and its partners promote.

However, we all need to do more to ensure that

our young people have a future in helping our

local economy, and the businesses that operate

in it, to grow.

For further information on CfE and how your

business can get involved, please contact

Helen Winton (Education Development Officer,

Stirling Council) on 01786 442524, email

wintonh@stirling.gov.uk.

Determined to SucceedPrior to Curriculum for Excellence, Determined to Succeed helped prepare young people for

work and life in a globalised society by embedding enterprise in education. The following

examples show how practical engagement with local businesses and business planning can

help to develop the enterprising nature and employability of local school students…

The cream of Scottish road racing

talent will be coming to the

Stirling area, when the 2011

Scottish Road Race Championships

is hosted in the picturesque

village of Balfron on Sunday 22nd

May. This exciting cycling event,

which is organised by a group of

dedicated Scottish cyclists known

as Vortex RT and supported by

Balfron Community Council and

Stirling Council, will feature the

women’s and men’s Scottish

championships.

The 11 km circuit will start and

finish in Balfron, where the official

medal-giving ceremony will take

place. For further information go to

www.vortexraceteam.co.uk .

�011 Scottish Road Race Championships

Curriculum for Excellence

l

�8 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

LEADER supporting sustainable tourismOne area of activity that Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER is keen to support is the start-up and growth of sustainable rural

enterprises. LEADER is currently looking at ways of supporting sustainable tourism and would like to hear from businesses or

communities that have sustainable tourism projects in the pipeline that may need a small amount of funding to get started.

Latest LEADER awardsProject (and applicant) FVL LEADER award

Regeneration and Development Including Disabled Access (Tillicoultry Allotment Association) £15,028

Fruit-full Schools Falkirk (Grounds for Learning) £12,204

KYG – Widening the Experience (Killin Youth Group) £4,617

Trossachs Area Service Development (Trossachs Area Community Transport) £24,404

Carbeth Futures (Carbeth Hutters) £4,120

Blane Community Allotments (Strathblanefield Community Development Trust) £37,125

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Rural Housing Enabler (Rural Housing Service) £11,488

ClacksMax wireless broadband for the Forth Valley (Clackmannanshire Council and consortium) £184,000

More information on the Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER programme is available on the website www.fvl.org.uk where you can also download an enquiry form.

This is on the back of VisitScotland’s Sustainable Tourism Programme

which held its final sustainability event at Stirling Castle in January

2011, involving 100 tourism businesses from across the Forth

Valley. Hot on the heels of this event, LEADER would like to support

initiatives that have been inspired by the ‘Living the Legacy’

materials or the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit produced by Visit

Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful as part of

this programme.

Sue Wyllie, LEADER Development Officer, said: “As many tourism

businesses are already well aware, sustainable tourism is about

more than just energy saving light bulbs. Community involvement

in tourism projects, environmental education, use of public

transport, facilities for cyclists and walkers, dealing with waste,

recycling, and sourcing local produce and services are all elements

of sustainable tourism which will benefit the wider area – and this

is not an exhaustive list. And given that visitors come to the area

because of our beautiful environment, activities that enhance or

improve that environment are going to be good for business too.”

Assistance with the development of ideas for sustainable tourism

products or activities is also available from the following sources:

lBusiness Gateway lStirling Enterprise (STEP)

lVisitScotland lScottish Enterprise

lStirling Council lScottish Business in the Community

lLocal development trusts lLocal community planning groups

lLocal business associations lTourism associations

lCommunity Councils

LEADER is particularly keen to hear about initiatives that will create

or sustain jobs, involve young people, benefit a wide number of

businesses, or involve the community directly in the design or

delivery of the project.

If you have a sustainable tourism project in mind, please contact the

LEADER team on 01786 442687 or email wyllies@stirling.gov.uk .

More information on the LEADER programme in the Forth Valley

and Lomond area is available at www.fvl.org.uk .

LEADER update

LEADER is the European funding programme for the rural area.

www.fvl.org.uk

For more information on sustainable tourism, the sustainability toolkits and other useful resources, go to www.scotland-sustainabletourism.com.

�9www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Stirling Eye met up with Sandy Frickleton (Business Liaison Executive, Stirling Council) to find out more about the pilot broadband project...Sandy, what broadband speed will the new service

offer? Initially the available speeds will be between 2 Mbps and 20

Mbps, this said the equipment used will be upgradeable to take

advantage of next generation technology that will offer 100 Mbps

and beyond.

How much will the service cost businesses? Costs will be comparable to other broadband services.

Who will provide the broadband connection?The infrastructure will be provided through a partnership between

Clackmannanshire Council and a broadband wireless developer. The

developer will be chosen after a mandatory procurement process is

completed. The connection to the internet will be by any internet

service providers that decide to provide a service through the

infrastructure, just as you would normally find on a fibre optic or

copper cable internet connection.

How can businesses get connected?Businesses keen to sign up to this high speed broadband service

are asked to wait until more details are announced, this information

will be coming soon and will be detailed in the summer edition of

Stirling Eye.

Do businesses need a telephone line to connect?No, there is no need for a telephone line. As a matter of fact,

using a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service such as Skype

Wireless broadband is coming to rural businesses in StirlingBusinesses in Bandeath Industrial Estate, Throsk and Touch Business Centre near Cambusbarron

suffer from varying and intermittent broadband access. To address this issue, Stirling Council, Stirling

Development Agency Ltd and Touch Business Centre have teamed up with Clackmannanshire Council,

who has been investigating a wireless solution to take care of a similar problem in Alloa West

Business Centre and the Hillfoots area.

Working in partnership with this group, Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER led a successful bid to the

Scottish Government’s Rural Broadband Challenge Fund that will fund a pilot wireless broadband

solution for the identified areas. The service will be called ClacksMax and will be available to businesses and

communities in the target areas of Touch Estate and Bandeath in the Stirling Council area.

Stirling Development Agency board member Andy Richardson said: “We are delighted with the success of the bid as

it recognises the benefits and significance of high speed broadband for businesses in rural Stirling. We expect the

new service to have a positive impact on future demand for business space at Bandeath Industrial Estate and for

the rural economy as a whole.”

where a computer can be used to

call landlines or mobiles is becoming

a common way for businesses to

reduce monthly phone costs.

Do businesses need any special

equipment to connect?Any special equipment will be

provided through the service and will consist of a dongle or a

wireless router with or without an external antenna, depending on

the needs of the individual business.

Will the service also be available to members of the

community? Yes, although full quality of coverage won’t be fully known until

the system is commissioned and tested. The service will be open

to members of the communities who surround the target areas of

Bandeath and Touch Estate.

When is the service likely to come on stream?Once the procurement process for a broadband wireless developer is

complete, it should only take 3-4 months to have the service up and

running.

Is there potential to develop the service to a wider area? Yes, the modular nature of the infrastructure will allow the system

to be added to and improved. This offers the ability to cover other

areas that would also benefit from the service.

To find out more about ClacksMax, please contact Sandy Frickleton

(Stirling Council) on 01786 443403 or email frickletona@stirling.gov.uk

�0 STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Economic factsPopulation and Households Stirling �00�-�009 % Change �00� �00� �00� �00� �00� �007 �008 �009 Stirling Scotland

Total Population 86,150 86,370 86,370 86,930 87,810 88,190 88,350 88,740 3.0% 2.8%

Working Age Population 53,501 53,667 53,268 53,588 54,310 54,367 54,341 54,530 1.9% 3.1%

Total Number of Households 35,961 36,454 36,658 36,958 37,164 37,328 37,555 37,789 5.1% 6.0%

Source: General Register Office for Scotland

Employment RateFigure 2: Employment Rate (as % of Working Age Population)

Source: Annual Population Survey (Nomis)

Empl

oym

ent

rate

2006/07 2009/10

Employment

Enterprise �00� �00� �00� �00� �00� �007 �008 �009 �00�-�009 �00�-�009 Change % Change

Stirling 449 534 460 452 474 480 351 272 -177 -39%

Scotland 18,518 21,468 20,808 21,383 23,468 25,041 20,028 15,726 -2,792 -15%

Source: The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers

Business Survival RatesFigure 6: 3 Year Survival Rate of Newly Born Enterprises

Source: Business Demography (Office for National Statistics)

3 Ye

ar S

urvi

val R

ate

- %

2003 2006Year business started up

Figure 1: Population and Households

Figure 5: New Business Starts

Stirling

Scotland

Business DensityFigure 7: Number of Active Businesses per 10,000 Population

Source: Business Demography (Office for National Statistics)Notes: Active businesses cover PAYE and VAT registered businesses only

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

No.

Act

ive

busi

ness

es

per

10,0

00 p

opul

atio

n

2007 2009

Stirling

Scotland

Unemployment RateFigure 3: Unemployment Rate (as % of Working Age Population)

Stirling

Scotland4.54.03.53.02.52.01.51.00.50.0

Une

mpl

oym

ent

rate

Source: Claimant Count with Rates and Proportions (Nomis)

January 2006 January 2011

696867666564636261

74.0

73.5

73

72.5

72

71.5

71

70.5

70

69.5

Source: Annual Business Inquiry (Nomis)

Stirling 47,400 46,400 -1,000 -2%

Scotland 2,604,600 2,528,800 -75,800 -3%

�008 �009 �008-�009 �008-�009 Change % ChangeFigure 4: Number of People in Employment

�1www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye STIRLING EYE Focus on the local economy

Source: Business Demography (Office for National Statistics)Notes: Active businesses cover PAYE and VAT registered businesses only

Active Businesses, Business Births and Business DeathsFigure 8: Businesses in 2009 – Percentages based on Stock of Active Businesses Stirling – Number Stirling - % Scotland - %

Business Births 305 8.9% 9.8%Business Deaths 310 9.0% 10.2%Stock of Active Businesses 3.435 - -

Source: Business Demography (Office for National Statistics) Notes: Active businesses cover PAYE and VAT registered businesses only

QualificationsFigure 11: % of the Working Age Population Qualified to SVQ Level 4+ (or equivalent) and % with No Qualifications, 2009

Source: Annual Population Survey (Nomis)

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0% o

f w

orki

ng a

ge p

opul

atio

n

Stirling

SVQ Level �+

No qualifications

Scotland

EarningsFigure 13: Median Gross Weekly Earnings of People Working Full Time �00� �007 �008 �009 �010 % Change

Median Gross Weekly Earnings – Residents – Stirling £472.1 £479.9 £496.9 £499.2 £529.1 12% Median Gross Weekly Earnings – Residents – Scotland £427.9 £440.9 £462.9 £471.2 £486.9 14%Median Gross Weekly Earnings – Workers – Stirling £419.3 £434.1 £454.1 £460.2 £499.1 19%Median Gross Weekly Earnings – Workers – Scotland £428.1 £441.7 £462.6 £472.8 £488.2 14%Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Nomis)

Industry Occupational DistributionFigure 10: Occupational Distribution of Workers (%), Stirling, 2009

Source: Annual Population Survey - Workplace Analysis (Nomis)

Visitors to the Stirling AreaFigure 12: Visitors to Key Attractions in the Stirling Council Area

Visitors �008 �009

Argyll’s Lodging 28,434 32,439

Bannockburn Heritage Centre 40,925 50,571

Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park 388,112 397,000

Mugdock Country Park 622,375 585,288

National Wallace Monument 115,774 126,237

Old Town Jail 18,192 17,503

Stirling Castle 375,3453 383,293

Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum 51,438 39,408

Source: Visit Scotland; Mugdock Country Park; Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park

�00�-�010

Figure 9: Employment by Industrial Sector (%), Stirling, 2009

Source: Business Register and Employment Survey (Nomis)

Industry

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 0.6%

Mining, Quarrying & Utilities 0.4%

Manufacturing 5.9%

Construction 6.5%

Motor Trades 2.4%

Wholesale 3.5%

Retail 11.3%

Transport & Storage (Inc Postal) 2.5%

Accommodation & Food Services 8.8%

Information & Communication 1.6%

Financial & Insurance 5.7%

Property 1.1%

Professional, Scientific & Technical 4.8%

Business Administration & Support Services 7.2%

Public Administration & Defence 9.7%

Education 9.2%

Health 14.8%

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation & Other Services 4.0%

Stirling Council Environment Services, Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET phone: 0845 277 7000

email: info@stirling.gov.uk text: 0771 779 0001 web: stirling.gov.uk

Useful web linksActive Stirling – www.activestirling.org.uk Business Gateway – www.bgateway.comForth Valley College – www.forthvalley.ac.ukForth Construction Forum - www.forthconstruction.co.ukForth Valley and Lomond LEADER – www.fvl.org.ukFunding Search Facility – www.stirling.gov.uk/fundingThe Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park- www.lochlomond-trossachs.orgLottery Fund – www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotlandProperty Search Facility – www.stirling.gov.uk/propertyRaploch Urban Regeneration Company – www.raploch.comScottish Chambers of Commerce – www.scottishchambers.org.ukScottish Enterprise – www.scottish-enterprise.co.ukScottish Government – www.scotland.gov.ukScottish Parliament – www.scottish.parliament.ukStirling Business Directory – www.stirling.gov.uk/directoryStirling Business Panel – www.stirlingbusinesspanel.orgStirling Council Business Pages – www.stirling.gov.uk/businessStirling Enterprise (STEP) – www.stirling-enterprise.co.ukStirling Eye – www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeyeStirling University Innovation Park – www.suip.co.ukTrossachs Rural Mentoring Scheme – www.ruralmentoring.co.ukUniversity of Stirling – www.stir.ac.ukVisitScotland – www.visitscotland.orgVisitStirling – www.visitstirling.org

Service contactsBuilding Standards, Stirling CouncilJoyce Wighton, Tel: 01786 432032, email: eoadmin@stirling.gov.uk

City Centre Management, Stirling CouncilAndy Kennedy, Tel: 01786 442534, email: kennedya2@stirling.gov.uk

Culture and Adult Learning, Stirling CouncilLynne Gibbons, Tel: 01786 432360, email: gibbonsla@stirling.gov.uk

Economic Support & Tourism, Stirling CouncilDeborah Murray, Tel: 01786 442467, email: murrayd@stirling.gov.uk

Employability Service, Stirling CouncilGordon Wright, Tel: 01786 442866, email: wrightg@stirling.gov.uk

Environmental Health & Trading Standards, Stirling CouncilLeslie Fisher, Tel: 01786 432180, email eoadmin@stirling.gov.uk

Planning, Stirling CouncilPeter Morgan, Tel: 01786 442914, email: morganp@stirling.gov.uk

Rates Team, Stirling CouncilAlison McLean, Tel: 01786 443236, email: rates@stirling.gov.uk

Waste Services, Stirling CouncilDavid Hopper, Tel: 01786 443038, email hopperd@stirling.gov.uk

Forthcoming events/trainingFree Business Gateway training events:

April 2010

13th evening – Stirling – Marketing your business.

19th morning – Alloa – Build your own website 1.

19th afternoon – Alloa – Build your own website 2.

19th morning – Falkirk – Mastering Selling 1.

19th afternoon – Falkirk – Mastering Selling 2.

19th morning – Stirling – What you need to know before

setting up a website.

20th morning – Alloa – Understanding your financial statements.

20th evening – Stirling – Advertising & promotion.

May 2011

24th morning – Stirling – Get real results from your website.

25th morning – Falkirk – Bookeeping 1.

25th afternoon – Falkirk – Bookeeping 2.

27th morning – Falkirk – Trading online.

To book your free place, call 0845 609 6611 or check www.bgateway.com for up-to-date listings.

Business start-up workshops

Stirling Enterprise (STEP) run free training and awareness sessions specifically for people looking to start up their own business. Forthcoming training dates are:

May 2011

10th evening – Stirling – Business start up: Business planning.

11th evening – Stirling – Business start up: Marketing.

11th evening – Stirling – Business start up: Finance.

18th evening – Stirling – Business start up: ICT.

24th evening – Stirling – Business start up follow on session: HMRC.

For more information on the business start-up workshops, please

contact Denise Mallinson on 01786 463416.

On the VergeLocal businesses have lent support to a project called On the Verge to aid

recovery of local bee populations.

The environmental campaign

is aimed at using as many

green spaces as possible in and

around Stirling to sow nectar

rich wildflowers, with the aim

of providing readily available

food sources for ailing bee

populations.

The project has been funded

through donations from a

number of local businesses,

including Superglass, Belhaven,

Graham’s the Family Dairy,

Forth Housing, Value Tyres,

STOMP shoe shop and United

Closures & Plastics.

The photograph is from

one of On the Verge’s

recent projects, the

revival of a box hedge garden by

Allan’s Primary School, turning

it into a wildlife haven. Leigh

Biagi from On the Verge, said:

“This project was made possible

through permission from The

Cowane’s Trust and plants

donated by Dobbies Garden

Centre and Janet Owen of local

florist So Blooming Marvellous.”

To find out more about On the

Verge, please contact Leigh Biagi

on 01786 451615, email

leigh.biagi@talktalk.net .