Business Focus: Woodlands Glencoe win shows Highland firms are among the best in Britain

By David Richardson, regional development manager at FSB

The online audience at our recent FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards’ UK Final heard compere Clare Balding say the immortal words: “And the Federation of Small Businesses’ UK Small Business of the Year is… Woodlands Glencoe of Ballachulish.”

Incredibly, this is the second time in succession that a Highland business has won the top UK accolade – last time it was Cruise Loch Ness of Fort Augustus.

There are around 6,000,000 businesses in the UK and 25,000 in the Highlands. For a region with 0.4 per cent of the country’s businesses to produce two winners in succession is truly remarkable. Not only that, but while home to only 15 per cent of Scotland’s businesses, the Highlands, Islands and Moray consistently produces over 40 per cent of Scotland heat winners! So what’s going on?

Well, distant from markets and with a difficult geography and sparse population, most of this region is dominated by highly seasonal, visitor-based economies in which making a living can be a struggle. Highland entrepreneurs must be able to think outside the box and innovate, and aside from being great leaders, they must also be determined, resilient and nimble; “pivoting” to adapt to rapidly-changing circumstances like pandemics.

Moreover, the people behind our greatest businesses are not driven by the desire to make fast bucks – there are better places for that. Most are driven by pride and passion for the areas and communities in which they live, and because they want to put quality of life ahead of standard of living, create solid and secure businesses for their children to inherit if they so choose, and really make a difference. It’s about lifestyle, legacy and community.

The FSB’s Celebrating Small Business Awards 2022 are now open for entries, so if you run a business to be proud of, why not show it off to best advantage by applying at www.fsbawards.co.uk? Not sure? Join us to hear about the whys and wherefores of entering business awards from previous winners in our special awards webinar on September 29 by visiting www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar/fsb-awards-webinar

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