End of an Edinburgh era

Welcome to this week's Business Banter blog.

We welcomed 13 newbies into the Business Banter community this week and their profiles are below.

We also removed ourselves from Edinburgh, for a wee while at any rate, and it was a real bummer to see about 20 people turn up at the 'last' Business Banter in Edinburgh on Tuesday. Maybe I should have put up 'Closing Down Sale' for the past few months to see if that's the reason the Edinburgh folk will turn out for you. As Arnie once said I'll be back. Glad to see though that the renewed interest last week gave a few of them the resolve to keep meeting on a Tuesday so will no doubt be able to update you on these Business Banter Lite events in forthcoming posts.

The close season for football is like purgatory. All of a sudden you find yourself with a couple of free nights during the week when training would be taking place and a Saturday when, well it's Saturday, that's just designed for football isn't it?

So you end up filling up your midweek diary with other networking engagements and this week I'd like to thank two people in particular for organising a couple of really worthwhile events. In my humble opinion of course.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp who invited me along to his Speakeasy at the 29 Club where I met quite a few really good and interesting people who are obviously oblivious to the term despondency and are really enthusiastic and optimistic about the way their businesses are heading in the months ahead. @theintelligiser

Michelle Rodger is another who regularly pops up in the various events I've went to over the past few years and she was one of the key drivers for the #theMeet140 at the Landsdowne Bar on Thursday night. Now this is a social media event with the word social at its heart. You get to meet a broad assortment of people who are tweeting here there and everywhere and its always good to put a face to a Twitter account, which in the case of Michelle is @tartancat.

The other thing about the Business Banter is the goodwill that I've managed to build up with a lot of people and I'd just like to say thanks to both Scott Henderson and Tommy Butler for taking the time out to meet up and work out how I can grow Think Different Events Ltd. in the coming months. Just in case you didn't realise, our core business is event management and the Business Banter is only one element of our business. A good one, but still only a part.

Scott has been helping senior colleagues to get stuff out of the 'too difficult' pile for the past 15 years. He's been managing programmes and projects for around 20 years. After 10 years of productivity, efficiency and organisational improvement initiatives in the Private Sector, he turned freelance, providing straightforward programme and project management expertise to colleagues in The Scottish Government.  Then, four years ago, he founded Strathfleet Management Services as a means to working with a wider range of Management Teams.

Some of the world's best, and most successful, ideas are often the simplest - The humble paper clip, Post-It's, the Biro pen.  Where would we be without any of those three. And in some ways, Tommy's business model is equally simple as he has managed to get into the psyche of the average internet user, considered the search patterns they might type into Google or whatever search engine there is, and then had the domain all ready for them at, or close to the top, of the found web sites. He has so many domain names he's lost an accurate count but thinks it could be as high as 1,300!! Jeez it takes me all my time to remember and work on the couple I have. Tommy, you have my respect for this and a couple of other reasons we'll keep to ourselves just for the moment.

So back to the football close season. Hampden is the home of Scottish Football. I've been going there since the late 60s and it's obviously a football stadium because it has a football park in the middle of it, home to some of the greatest games of football -

Real Madrid v Eintract Frankfurt in the 1960 European Cup Final,

Scotland v Czechlosovakia in1973 when big Joe Jordan steered a header into the West end goal and began a long trail of World Cup highs and lows for the Tartan Army and of course the greatest game ever at Hampden Park when

the mighty Partick Thistle whipped the bhoys from the east end of the city 4-1. Goalscorers that day were Alex Rae, Bobby Lawrie, Denis McQuade and Jimmy Bone, all scored at the West end goal in the first 45 minutes and one Kenny Dalglish for the losers. Oh yes, that's what Hampden memories are about, not Take That. Take That? Take a hike!!

Before we go on to talk about the Business Banter newbies last week just a further reminder that the Business Golf Association event is taking place on 25 August and I'd really appreciate any help in getting this event into people's mindset for that date. While the Business Banter remains a free event, it'll be the success of the BGA and a few other events I'm looking to kick start in the coming months which will help fund the time and resource in putting the Business Banter together.

Click on the image below to find out more about the event and how to get involved.

The Business Banter this week

This week's forthcoming Business Banters are at the usual times and places.

Edinburgh, Tuesday, Caffe Nero, Lothian Road 0800-1000

Glasgow, Thursday, Esquires, Hope Street 0800-1000

Newbie Corner

Kallum Russell - Man in search of employment.
For some reason I never included Kallum's profile in the Banter Community before, although he has been on quite a few occasions. Kallum is a diligent and enthusiastic Management with Marketing graduate with practical experience in marketing, teamwork and public speaking.

Eager to  pursue a career in marketing and achieve his full potential. He's also got an infectious personality and though currently in the job market I don't think it will be long unitl a lucky employer snaps him up.

Stephen Connolly and Morag Dalziel are both Associates with local, i.e. across the road from Esquires Coffee House, legal firm Miller Samuel.

With so many legal companies coming along to the Business Banter I think we should set up our own Bar Association for them.

Glad that both could make it on Thursday and hope they both got something worthwhile out of the experience. Unfortunately Morag didn't have a picture I could nab off the web but take my word for it she was there!!

As their website states '...We operate from a central office in Glasgow, but our reach is global. As the only Scottish member of the International Lawyers Network we offer our clients access to quality assured advice in any international jurisdiction. We work for individuals, public sector organisations, private and listed companies, entrepeneurs, financial institutions and insurers. We build strong relationships with our clients and make a difference to them by understanding their specific needs. We get the job done, on time and within budget. Our consistently high standard of service is independently and externally audited through LawNet and we have achieved and maintained ISO9001:2008 certification. Miller Samuel LLP are proud supporters of the Scottish Spina Bifida Association....'

Marketing & Business Development at McKay Flooring Ltd
Seamus hasn't technically been to the Business Banter, I met him at the Meetup140 later on Thursday night along with half a dozen or more other Banterers from the morning. He's got a wicked sense of humour and hopefully will become a welcome addition to the Business Banters of a Thursday, if for no other reason than to start the weekend with a right good laugh.Seamus is a qualified graphic designer - founded and ran my own design agency in Ireland for 7 years before relocating to Glasgow to work for McKay Flooring Ltd. I execute our marketing initiatives and developing new business opportunities through online promotion & expansion.

Despite the Interpolesque photograph here, he's actually an OK guy!!

Nadia De Marco, The Team, personal training
Nadia was introduced to the group by Benedetto and, during the good hour or more she was at the Banter, she hardly moved an inch!!  ;-) She just seemed to be a magnet for everyone coming up to speak to her and Michelle at Esquires has asked me to replace the carpet tiles around her due to the additional wear and 
tear last week. 

Fueled by my desire to make a change, I decided to become a personal trainer. It meant changing my career, my fitness regime and my outlook on health and fitness, it was no longer just a hobby, I would have to get serious! Ultimately, it is the best decision I have ever made! I absolutely love training people and helping them reach their goals. I love changing my workouts regularly to push myself. I love feeling and looking good and I love my job! I should say that days are not without their difficulties and challenges but what job is!

Steven Calder, Streamba
Met Steven at another of Glasgow's thriving networking gigs organised by my good friend Gordon McIntyre-Kemp and found out he was into football, mobile apps and more importantly football!! Enthusiastic is an apt description about his work and hopefully over the coming months we can work together to get a better 
understanding of how his mobile apps can help others deliver their growth strategies. As he states on his linkedin profile....

'...I specialise in increasing competitive advantage through the discerning use of software and technology. In particular I develop high quality mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms. I have extensive experience in the development and successful delivery of mobile software applications that provide a simple but effective user experience that empowers the user and delivers value for our customers...'

Jeremy Bayston
Jeremy is a very interesting character with a wealth of experience in the high pressured world of the news print media.

As his linked in profile states...' After a career in newspapers, I am studying digital marketing with a view to applying my experitse in the fields of PR and social media. I currently conduct media training presentations and am an advocate for BHF Scotland. I have managed a creative department within a world-leading media organisation, mastering cutting edge technology to exact higher standards for ourselves and advantage over our media rivals. I have been involved in providing creative solutions to both fixed and fluid problems, and instigating good communication between internal and external partners, ensuring positive solutions that contribute to excellence and product evolution. I enjoy driving teams; motivating and exciting co-workers to produce their best for the company and satisfying management targets within strict parameters to produce best possible outcomes. I have worked on strategic decisions that affect the success of change within the organisation and am experienced in meeting tight deadlines and responding to briefs creatively and effectively....'

Richard McKay, Director, McKay Flooring
I should be giving Gordon commission on all the contacts he haswhothen make their way to the Business Banter as Richard was again introduced to me at the 29 Club last week by Gordon.

Great family run business with 40 years of experience and no doubt one of the untold success stories within Glasgow. As they proudly proclaim,  'The services we provide are domestic and commercial wood flooring including whisky barrel flooring, reclaimed flooring, leather flooring and floor sanding. We have recently secured 2 projects for Glasgow 2014 including the wood floors in the new Velodrome. 'McKay Flooring covers a number of areas but the one I've picked out because it appeals to me personally is this- the reclaimed flooring part of their 
business.

Reclaimed flooring is just the perfect floor-covering of the day for so many reasons:
For a start there are the benefits that it shares with its new counterparts: namely that it is a floor for life, and a clean, hygienic (and dust-mite free)  alternative to carpets. Then you have the fact that reclaimed flooring is eco-friendly; recycled floors that would have otherwise gone into land-fill, and each one saving trees from being cut-down to make new wood flooring. Then you have the affordability and value for money aspect: reclaimed flooring is available at a fraction of the price of its brand-new counterpart, and if properly cared for can last almost as long (which is still a lifetime). And finally you have the history aspect, which was explained well by a friend of mine who said: if only they could talk; in reference to reclaimed floorboards.

Mary Harkin, HR Consultant, Square Circle HR
It's always good to see other colleagues of people who have previously attended the Business Banter coming along too. Means we must be doing something right across the business community and soit was we were able to welcome Mary who Christian had invited along.

Square Circle HR have good business values as described in the followingparagraph. 'Our approach is to enter into a partnership, develop a sound knowledge of your business and provide tailored HR solutions to meet your needs. We provide practical 'hands on' support, at your premises, guiding you through issues as they arise. Whether you are in the situation of growth and recruiting new staff, have ongoing support needs or are having to restructure the business and 'let people go' – we can help get it right first time.'

Michael Crawford, Account Manager, Blueprint Media.
When you meetsomeone with a famous name it's always tempting to compare them with the personality and unfortunately I didn't get enough time to spend with Michael to see if he was anything like as calamatous as Michael's namesake in Some Mothers Do Have Them. I was a bit worried though when he left the Banter and turned to me saying 'Oh. Betty!!'

Who we are - Blueprint Media is a leading Scottish media relations consultancy with clients in the professional, manufacturing, service, legal and financial sectors.
Positive Impact - By developing and sustaining a planned profile in the media, Blueprint Media's input has consistently been proven to have a direct and positive impact on customers, employees and other influencers.

Also managed to find this on the services offered by the company:

We provide a range of services to our clients which includes the regular appearance in all appropriate titles of authoritative articles under clients' by-lines; placement of profile-raising stories in targeted media; a consistent programme of communications with journalists in professional, trade and financial publications; and, the continuous investigation of media opportunities which provide our clients with a window in which to demonstrate their expertise.

Ronnie Thomson, Director, Orcic 

Ronnie's partner Alison has been coming along on a regular basis to the Business Banter and finally managed to persuade Ronnie thatan early start one morning a week would be a good thing for him and I hope he agrees.
Orcic are a consultancy in Paisley, Scotland, specialising in the area of business process with a clear focus on delivering solutions that create information for managers who need to make informed decisions.  With individual companies in finance and technology, we joined together as we believed that a single end-to-end operational platform can be best achieved by one company rather than multiple suppliers. Pronounced “or_kick”, the name was created from “order” and “chaos”.  The idea is that many businesses, through no fault of their own, can find themselves in a chaotic position and yet maintain control of the various elements of the business by enabling the best use of resources.

Jamie Dalrymple, Communications Consultant at 9 dots Consulting
Jamie has been meaning to come along to the Edinburgh Business Banter for a number of months and finally made it on the very morningwe decided to draw back from the capital!!  ;-(  

Nonetheless with a national organisation, we hope to see Jamie one morning in God's city lettingmore businesses know about his company 9 Dots Consulting.

9 Dots Consulting provide a complete range of converged telecommunication services. We specialise in bespoke solutions for SME to Sub Corporate level business across the UK, delivering a “best fit” package to accommodate voice and data requirements. Our hands on approach to service has ensured a 99% client retention rate, with our customers reaching an account manager by an average of four rings. Our partnership with 2 Circles Communications and Carphone Warehouse Group positions us as one of the largest and most progressive communications consulting firms in the UK.

Kat Pentecost, Sales and Management at The Southwestern Company

Kat arrived at the Edinburgh Business Banter as she was on a two day assignment shadowing Jamie and his work. All I can say is that if Kat ever wants to shadow me she would be more than welcome!!  ;-)

Kat's role is to identify young people who may benefit from the wonderful opportunities that exist through her company. The Southwestern Company is: a community of the most interesting and motivated college and university students in the world and offers a summer work internship for students that gives them
Unmatched experience for a powerful resume, Extraordinary financial opportunity, Life skills training, Challenge and Mentoring from the best.

Graeme Golden, Sales Executive at Elevate Digital
If only. If only Graeme and a few others had been able to come along to the Edinburgh Business Banter a few weeks earlier then the decision to walk away may have become irrelevant.

However, that's not to say we won't see Graeme again as, like many others, he has a national remit and a wee trip west to Glasgow is not beyond possibility.  

A commercially focused senior manager experienced in selling transactional and marketing print, variable digital print, mail and document management solutions.With over 20 years experience in the industry I have sold many successful business solutions across many sectors – from materials sourcing and logistics to full marketing campaign and transactional mailings.

Musical Interlude

One of my favourite films of the past few years has been the replacements with Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves. But it's the closing sequence with this Bowie track that makes it for me.

Twits of the week

Forget about FFs or Friendly Fridays as they're called. This is the 'A' list of Twits this week from the Business Banter Community. So thanks for all the mentions using the #TDBB hash tag this week

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp - @theIntelligiser

Michelle Rodger - @tartancat

Richard McKay - @RichardMcKay

Evelyn Laurie - @redEvelyn

Social Media Week Glasgow - @SMWGlasgow

In the Spotlight 

Think Different Business Banter is all about building business relationships and the Spotlight pages provide an opportunity for Banterers to tell us all a little bit more about themselves and what services or products they offer their clients. Providing this information online also gives Banterers an opportunity to update us all on changes to their company's services, special promotions, links to other media stories and the like. Find out more about how you can Get in the Spotlight.     

This week the Spotlight falls on Colin Abercrombie Click on Find out more to read the whole interview.  Click on the photos below to see who has been put in the Spotlight so far: 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until later this week  

TUESDAY - EDINBURGH

THURSDAY - GLASGOW

Take care and keep busy                   

Jacky

 

Previous Blog posts can be found here                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

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