In the first business breakfast of the Club’s new season, held at The Scores Hotel, attendees learned how to improve personal and team productivity as well as enjoying networking.
Sam Forsberg of ActionCOACH Scotland.
Sam Forsberg of ActionCOACH Scotland shared key principles for greater productivity and introduced attendees to tools they can start using immediately to achieve more of the things most important to them.
Dr Sandra Romenska, Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching at the University of St Andrews School of Management.
Dr Sandra Romenska, Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching at the University of St Andrews School of Management, helped attendees discover how they can be a better leader via a research-based interactive experience which included setting each side of the room a team negotiation challenge.
Both excellent expert presentations were greatly enjoyed by attendees, who clearly found them energising and inspiring.
NEXT EVENT:The Club’s next event is Surviving Brexit on November 8. It’s a politics-free event featuring 3 expert speakers on how to ensure your company does!
Dr Billy Grierson (left), Stephen Westwood and Dr Shona Dobbie will describe how companies can develop a Brexit survival strategy.
It’s not yet clear what form Brexit will take, but St Andrews Business Club’s November 8 event will help company owners and managers develop a Brexit survival strategy for whatever happens.
Three highly-qualified experts will speak at the event, to be held at the New Golf Club from 5.30pm.
Former Alliance Trust economist Dr Shona Dobbie gives independent economic, political and demographic advice to businesses. She will provide a politics-free understanding of the economic consequences of Brexit.
International businessman and entrepreneur Stephen Westwood has fulfilled roles as Chief Executive, Finance Director and interim executive across multiple business sectors for corporations in the UK and the US. He will deliver an appreciation of the actual and perceived impacts of Brexit on business.
Innovation and business consultant Dr Billy Grierson spent more than 30 years working for Ciba and BASF developing an understanding of how companies fail to solve problems and what tools and techniques can be used to improve their success rate. He will outline the framework to start the process of thinking about what opportunities and challenges your business will face and what you can do about them.
Anyone wishing to learn about this vital business topic, as well as network, is asked to book via Eventbrite.
The University of St Andrews Enterprise Week Keynote Event, organised in partnership with St Andrews Business Club, took place at The Byre Theatre. The speakers took part in a panel Q&A at the end of the event.
North-East Fife businesspeople joined St Andrews University students, staff, members of the public and Club members to hear the stories of several of Scotland’s most inspiring entrepreneurs as part of this year’s university Enterprise Week.
The free Keynote Event at The Byre Theatre on Wednesday night heard the stories and lessons of three Scottish entrepreneurs. The Club partnered with the Enterprise Week student committee to help organise the event as part of its commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship in the area.
Attendees took part in a networking wine reception with canapes before being welcomed by the Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone. She spoke about the increasing role of enterprise in the university and the importance of creativity in it.
Professor Mapstone then introduced Geoff Morris, the university’s Director of Special Projects & Community Engagement, who is responsible for the Eden Campus development in Guardbridge and he spoke about its vision and progress to date.
Craft beer
First of the inspiring entrepreneurs to share their story and lessons was Alan Mahon, co-founder of Brewgooder, the social enterprise which aims to provide clean water for a million people by producing and selling excellent craft beer and donating all the profits to clean water charities.
In its first year sales of Clean Water Lager funded two new well projects in Malawi providing 5,000 people with clean drinking water, transforming rural communities. This year it’s funding 60 projects helping 33,000 people. It also recently won the innovation award in the Scottish Beer Awards.
Alan spoke of the increasing importance of mission in business and told attendees how Social Bite, at which he works with Josh Littlejohn, went from a shop in Edinburgh’s Rose St to a planned village in Granton with high-quality affordable eco-housing for people suffering from being homeless. He also announced that students all over Scotland are being invited to join the Social Bite Sleep in the Park event in Edinburgh’s Princes St Gardens on December 9 in return for a minimum fundraising donation.
App company
Next up was 2007 St Andrews Economics & Management graduate Ines Teles, who founded the university’s Entrepreneurship Society. She co-founded app company DWYL in 2013 after working for the NHS and consultants Accenture and talked about the importance of openness and the growing role for machine learning.
Final speaker was St Andrews alumna Pippa Geaves, who graduated with an MLitt in Art History in 2013 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Managing in the Creative Industries in 2014. While working for a PR and creative agency, the graphic and web designer won the Innovation award at the DevelopHER Awards in November last year.
Pippa then decided to explore the consumer side of playful design and stationery, by founding Jeeves & Co. Design Studio in January this year. She explained how a failure to plan a career before graduating had led her to end up at her local Job Centre, but the circuitous route she’d taken to creating her company felt better than the more traditional one and had taught her more.
Q&A
The event finished with questions from the audience to the speakers.
Speaking about the event, St Andrews Business Club President, Alistair Morris, said: ”We’re delighted to have been asked to contribute to this event to help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and business people. The Club welcomes them to any of our own events.”
Bonnie Hacking, Enterprise & Employability Adviser at the University of St Andrews, said: “We’d like to thank St Andrews Business Club for its contribution to this event. We look forward to this being the first of many events we work on together to promote enterprise in our students and in the local community.”
Dr Sandra Romenska (left) and Sam Forsberg will teach you how to get more done.
People doing business in North-East Fife are being invited to learn how to get more done in the latest St Andrews Business Club event on October 25.
In the first business breakfast of the club’s new season, to be held at The Scores Hotel from 7.30am, Dr Sandra Romenska from the University of St Andrews School of Management will help attendees discover how they can be a better leader via a research-based interactive experience.
Sam Forsberg of ActionCOACH Scotland will share key principles for greater productivity and introduce the audience to tools they can start using immediately to achieve more of the things most important to them.
Anyone wishing to learn about this important business topic, as well as network, is asked to book via Eventbrite. The cost is £11.21 and includes a buffet breakfast and 45 minutes networking.
A full list of this season’s events can be found on our Events page.
Digital and social media consultant Pauline Randall of Florizel Media took Members and Guests through the latest changes in social media from social. Pic: ASM Media & PR
Business people from all over North-East Fife joined Members and Guests of St Andrews Business Club to hear to hear a very useful & entertaining talk about the latest changes in social media from social and digital media consultant Pauline Randall of Florizel Media.
In the first open event of the club’s new season, Pauline told attendees about some of the latest changes they may have missed but which could be important to the marketing of their business.
They included Facebook retiring some types of ads, Twitter enabling live video streaming directly from the app and using video with the LinkedIn mobile app.
NEXT EVENT: The Club’s next event is the University of St Andrews Enterprise Week Keynote Event on October 11. Club Members should email their request for a ticket from the Club’s allocation ASAP.
Our first business breakfast of the season follows on October 25.
General Manager Grant Cooper gave Members and Guests a tour of the hotel, including the Tayberry @ Kinnettles restaurant
Members and guests of the Club got a VIP insight into the town’s new Kinnettles Hotel in the first event of the new season.
General Manager Grant Cooper and his staff welcomed club members and their guests to the boutique hotel on North St, which opened in July.
Grant explained the history of the project and some of the plans for the future before leading attendees on a guided tour of the facilities which include a luxurious suite, the state-of-the-art Eden spa and the Tayberry at Kinnettles restaurant run by award-winning chef Adam Newth.
Members and guests also sampled some of its delights via delicious canapes!
Unsurprisingly, this proved to be a very popular event.
Since the Club’s AGM in April, the Committee has been hard at work all summer on ways to make membership of the Club and attending its events more directly useful to members and non-members.
The season and changes we’re announcing today are based on the results of detailed market research interviews with members and non-members last Summer as well as ideas and other feedback from members over the last year.
One of the questions we asked ourselves was ‘What is the Club’s purpose?’ Looking at the original 1950 constitution (which we’re seeking to update soon), we saw two key activities – meeting other businesspeople and learning for business. They’re still important to succeed in business today, so you’ll find them at the heart of the 2017-18 season.
Learning
Learning event topics, some of which were suggested by members, have been chosen to provide you with essential information you can use straight away on today’s key business issues. They will include:
Details of the final learning events in the Club season will be announced later. If there are topics you’d like covered, please email us with them.
Inspiration
Professor Sally Mapstone, Principal of The University of St Andrews, is the keynote speaker at our ‘Inspiring Women’ event in March 2018
We know from past seasons how much hearing high-achieving people such as Lord Mulholland, Alban Denton and Kevin Grainger sharing their stories and lessons can inspire and educate others. So we’re delighted Professor Sally Mapstone, Principal of the University of St Andrews, has agreed to give the keynote speech at our ‘Inspiring Women’ event on March 7 next year (the eve of International Women’s Day).
But first, on October 11, Alan Mahon, co-founder of craft beer social enterprise Brewgooder, will be among a panel of entrepreneurs sharing their stories and advice at the University of St Andrews Enterprise WeekKeynote Event which the Club is contributing to in partnership with the student committee. Members will have access to a Club priority allocation of tickets for this event. Click here for more details.
Networking
To aid the business networking part of our purpose, since last season all Club events have included scheduled time for networking. This year we’re going a step further and opening most of our events to non-members – so they can join members and their guests and all enjoy the benefits of meeting more people.
We’re also adding informal facilitated networking lunches to the schedule – for a small number of people to discuss over a light lunch how a business issue or problem was or can be dealt with. The first will be held on March 28.
New formats, times & more events
Those of you familiar with the Club will have spotted a new word there – ‘lunches.’ One of the event format changes we’re introducing this year as a result of member feedback is having our daytime events at lunchtime rather than breakfastduring the GMT months – so you don’t have to get up in the cold and dark to attend. See the event listings for details of dates and times.
Another new event format we’re trying is holding a Pecha Kucha-style event on May 9. Members will be drawn at random to present 20 slides of 20 seconds each on a topic of interest to all. It promises to be a fun night!
Also as a result of member feedback, we’re extending the Club’s season into May and June for the first time, which means members will be getting even more value from their annual membership fee and non-members will have more opportunities to join in, meet and learn.
New Membership benefits
The right to present at our Pecha Kucha-style event is one of several newmembership benefits we’re introducing this year. But why else should you join the Club?
Other new benefits include:
One free Guest at each event
Member profile, logo, contact info and link listing on Club website (Coming Soon)
Opportunity to write a guest blog post for the Club website once a year
Access to Club allocation of tickets for external events, such as the General Election Hustings earlier this year
Free display of flyers at events
Those join the following benefits which members already enjoy:
Access to Members & Guests-only events
Free access to evening events
Opportunity to be the expert speaker at a Club event
Company feature post on Club social media channels
Opportunity to have social posts shared on Club channels (Twitter & Facebook)
That’s a fantastic range of benefits for just £30 annual individual membership – the best value it’s ever been.
Still not convinced? You can read here why some members joined, what they’ve gained and enjoyed since.
Want to join the Club? Find out how to do that here. Existing members will receive their renewal reminder next month.
New Corporate Membership option
If you think some of your colleagues would also want to join or renew their membership, you should consider the new corporate membership option we’re introducing. It’s just £100 for five named members of an organisation and includes some extra benefits over individual membership. Go here for full details.
Whether you’re already a member, a past one or someone new to the Club, we’d be delighted to see you at our events this season. And hear what you think – so we can keep making the Club better.
Details of the full season’s topics, dates, speakers are here
Details of membership benefits and how to join the Club are here
For latest news from the Club, its members and the North-East Fife business community, follow the Club here on Twitter and like our Facebook page
Venue: Main Auditorium, The Byre Theatre, Abbey St, St Andrews, KY16 9LA.
Times:
– 5.30pm – Wine Reception + canapes with students & University staff including Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone
– 7pm – Welcome from Professor Sally Mapstone followed by Speakers + Panel Q&A
– 9pm – Event finishes
The event
Part of Enterprise Week, the Keynote Event is an opportunity to hear from entrepreneurs from across the UK about their experiences and approach. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and to network with refreshments beforehand.
St Andrews Business Club has partnered with the Enterprise Week student committee to help organise this event, as part of the Club’s commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship in the area.
In early 2016, after years working together on projects to tackle homelessness in Scotland, Alan Mahon and Josh Littlejohn of Social Bite set out to provide clean water for a million people by producing and selling excellent craft beer and donating 100% of the profits to clean water charities.
With the help of BrewDog – who brew their beer at zero margin – they founded Brewgooder and on World Water Day 2016 asked craft beer drinkers across the world to help them on our mission via crowdfunding . In its first year sales of Clean Water Lager funded two new well projects in Malawi providing 5,000 people with clean drinking water, transforming rural communities.
Ines Teles, Co-founder DWYL (2007, MA Economics & Management)
From the DWYL website: “I co-founded dwyl because I wanted to use technology to help people and organisations realise their potential and make the world a little brighter in the process!
“I make sure we’re working with people doing great things, help our clients problem solve, provide training, try to make dwyl a little better every day, scrum master, and whenever I can, make time to code on our open source projects.
“dwyl’s values closely match my own ? and it makes me so happy to work with such amazing people every day! I ❤️ accessibility, sustainability, education and advocating for women in tech.”
Pippa Geaves, founder of Jeeves & Co.
Pippa Geaves, Founder and Creative Director, Jeeves & Co. Design Studio (2013, MLitt Art History; 2014, PG Dip Managing in the Creative Industries)
From the Jeeves & Co website: “Jeeves & Co. Design Studio was founded by Pippa Geaves (pronounced ‘Jeeves’), an award-winning graphic and web designer.
“After graduating from the University of St Andrews with postgraduate qualifications in Art History and Creative Industries Management, Pippa went on to work for a successful PR and creative agency in Suffolk.
“In November 2016, Pippa won the Innovation award sponsored by Barclays at the DevelopHER Awards and was recognised for her ability to channel her creativity into commercial success.
“Always looking for her next challenge, Pippa decided to branch out from commercial design and explore the consumer side of things. With her love of playful design and stationery, Jeeves & Co. Design Studio was born.”
Geoff Morris, Director of Special Projects & Community Engagement, University of St Andrews
Geoff has held senior leadership positions at two children’s charities – Barnardo’s and Wooden Spoon as well as running the 800th Anniversary celebrations for the University of Cambridge, where he still works occasionally as a consultant.
As CEO of children’s charity Wooden Spoon, he more than trebled turnover in the five years of his leadership.
Over the past three years, Geoff has worked to develop the Scotland CAN DO Scale programme benefitting more than 200 entrepreneurs.
Geoff is settled in the East Neuk of Fife and is committed to the University of St Andrews. While his attention has been on community engagement, he is currently focussed on creating a thriving economic community at Eden Campus, in the village of Guardbridge.
Why you should attend
Every business can learn something from the journeys of successful entrepreneurs. And you’ll get a chance to ask them questions and hopefully meet them too.
BOOK NOW
Club members should email the Club ASAP to request one of the priority tickets being allocated to Club members for this event. This will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Noele McClelland, employment law Partner at Thorntons, explains the issues to Club members and guests.
Noele McClelland is a highly-experienced employment lawyer who advises public and private sector clients on all aspects of employment law and HR practice, in which she specialised in 2001.
Noele has been involved in a number of high-profile executive disputes and also acts for a number of SMEs – working closely with their directors as a trusted advisor to support them with their employment law needs.
She is listed in Chambers’ Guide to the Legal Profession as one of Scotland’s leading employment solicitors.
Noele ran Club members and guests through the key organisational processes which are regulated by employment law, including:
Recruitment best practice – e.g. avoiding publishing job adverts which discriminate against some possible applicants
The Right to Work in the UK – Thorntons has seen an increase in enquiries about this across all sectors as a result of Brexit
Working Time Regulations
The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage – rates increased on April 1
Auto-enrolment pensions – which people working with your business have to be ‘auto-enrolled’
‘Protected conversations’ and procedures for termination of employment – ensuring the way in which you go about having someone leave your organisation won’t result in a tribunal award against your firm
Noele also answered questions on the crucial issues in Zero Hours Contracts, differences in how HRMC sees employment status versus employment law and record-keeping to ensure successful defence of hiring decisions.
Alban Denton, Managing Director of Loch Duart Ltd, giving a candid talk at the St Andrews Business Club AGM.
Alban Denton, Managing Director of Loch Duart Ltd, was the speaker at the Club’s AGM evening on April 5 2017 – the best attended in many years.
Loch Duart Ltd is one of the world’s leading producers of premium whole fresh Scottish salmon. Alban is also Non-Executive Director of Suttons Group, the international transport and logistics group.
A graduate in Agricultural and Food Marketing and an MBA, he has delivered profit growth and restructuring as well as organisational and cultural change in a variety of food manufacturing and agricultural businesses over more than 26 years – from Kettle Produce and Grampian Country Food Group to Warburtons and Loch Duart Ltd.
Alban also has retail experience in both store operations and buying with Marks and Spencer having started his career managing the brand’s flagship Food Hall at the Marble Arch store.
He explained the importance of sustainability in fish production before going through Loch Duart Ltd’s background and its transformation from 30 staff producing 1,800 tonnes of fish in 1999 to 115 staff who’ve delivered its transformation to 5,000 tonnes in 2016.
Rave reviews
He then talked the rapt audience through Loch Duart’s USPs – including low stocking density, rotation scheme, natural cleaning, feeding priorities and top Omega 3 concentration – before explaining how they tackle sea lice and the key link between welfare and taste.
The result is a list of rave product reviews from top chefs (Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc and Rick Stein) and food critics as well as being sourced for Royal events.
One of Alban’s key themes was how the success has been built through getting the local community energised by the company’s mission and helping it share in its success, collectively and individually – one staff member received rapid promotion after he identified her ability to play a key role at a higher level.
He also shared a very candid appraisal of what makes Loch Duart different, how he helped steer it through an existential crisis as well as its progress in the last 12 months and priorities going forward.
Finally, Alban answered questions on a variety of topics, including how it gets its salmon to chefs around the world ready for them to cook 48 hours earlier than its competitors.
By Alistair Morris, President
Anyone joining the Club by September 4 will be able to join members and their guests in an 
Members will also enjoy a 
