Our PR agency asked some of Scotland’s finest business minds for tips for getting through the pandemic

WE ARE lucky enough to work with some of the smartest people in the Scottish business world.

It’s no coincidence that highly successful people with proven track records of building and running successful, multi-million pound businesses also happen to be the kind of people who know the value of award-winning public relations support.

So we decided to ask some of our clients the most pressing question of the times: “What is the way forward for Scottish businesses once the Coronavirus pandemic is under control?”

Since brevity is the best recommendation of any speaker, we asked them to keep their tips and insights to fewer than 80 words.

Tom Flockhart is the founder and MD of Capital Documents Solutions, Scotland’s biggest independent copy-scan-print specialist with more than 13,000 machines deployed to 3000 customers. The firm has 200 staff across five Scottish offices and annual revenues of £22m

 Communicate frequently, openly and honestly with staff – facts not false optimism.

Articulate your vision of what your customers, suppliers and company will look and act like in the “new norm”.

Recognise competitors old and new – how they may have changed. Identify what is needed to retain clients and win new ones.

RETURN with well-informed teams to adapt to your REIMAGINED business model. REFORM (teams, facilities, products) as necessary; RETAIN core values that served you best through Lockdown.

Betsy Williamson is the founder and MD of Core-Asset Consulting, a 30-strong team of specialist recruitment experts in the asset management, investment, financial services, accountancy and legal sectors.

Reassess costs and decide the quickest route to get the business back to operational capacity. That needs a strong grasp of cashflow, breakeven costs and projected sales.

Identify the most disrupted business areas or channels and establish if and how they can be brought back. Communicate your strategy with your team to ensure they pull together.

Create a positive business culture. The psychological impact on staff will have been profound. Supporting employees will help them – and the business – to “snap back” more quickly.

Jim Hall founded Clyde Munro in 2015 with the acquisition of seven dental practices. Since then, it has enjoyed rapid growth through acquisition and now comprises 40 practices across Scotland with over 200 dentists and 350 staff.

Caring for and supporting each other and our patients is a fundamental value of our organisation.  It is our single most important strength for the future.

Recognising things will be different and meticulous planning will be essential to success going forward.

Taking steps in the short-term to ensure social distancing and making the workflow safer for patients and staff will be key.

Clear communications will ease concerns and allow focus on what needs done.

Stuart Common, is the Sales Director with Mackie’s of Scotland, the renowned ice cream company founded in 1986 which now turns over £16.7m per year. It operates from the family-owned farm in Aberdeenshire, one of the most environmentally-friendly businesses in Scotland.

We need to focus on getting the economy back to a stable place and much of that can come from businesses working together and helping one and other out.

Small to medium sized companies are the lifeblood of our business community and many will need a hand to get back into a healthy state again, to give them the opportunity to prosper once more. Collaboration will be key, and a joint approach, across all industries, should be encouraged.

Isn’t it time you found out why the brightest minds in Scottish business choose to work with our award-winning PR agency

We’d love the chance to find out about the opportunities and challenges for your business – and to explore how powerful PR services could help.

Getting in touch with us couldn’t be easier. Phone us on 0131 561 2244 or take a few seconds to fill and submit the simple form below and we’ll get straight back to you: