Author: Helen Dickson (Page 1 of 3)

New report published examining the role of inclusive and democratic business models

Tripling the number of inclusive and democratic businesses (IDBMs) in Scotland will make a significant contribution to transforming the country’s economy according to a new report published 3rd September 2024.

The report: Developing Scotland’s Economy: Increasing the Role of Inclusive and Democratic Business Models was published after the review was announced in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) report (Scottish Government, 2022) and seeks to provide guidance for increasing the number of Inclusive and Democratic Business Models (IDBMs) in Scotland.

The review was carried out by an independent group of economists, businesses, and support organisations including Co-operative Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise team leader, Darah Zahran.

In our latest blog article, we caught up with Darah to find out her thoughts now the review has been published.

Image of Darah Zahran

“Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) was launched by Scottish Enterprise in 2002, born from a recognition that Scotland would benefit from a supportive framework to enhance economic development through democratic business practices. Since then, we have developed the service to provide advice, resources, and funded support for new and existing co-operatives and employee-owned businesses. For over two decades we have adapted to meet changing economic conditions but always with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding about the range and value of inclusive and democratic business model among entrepreneurs, business advisers, policymakers and communities.

“As the only public sector-funded service in Scotland dedicated to supporting economic growth by increasing the number of co-operatives and employee-owned businesses, we welcome this review as a timely opportunity to shine a spotlight on these great models and maximise their impact in our economy.  Over the years we have seen first-hand the opportunities, stability and value that employee-ownership and co-ops bring to our businesses, communities and economy. The resilience of these models was evident during the pandemic, and the aspiration to grow the number of businesses operating this way is increasingly attractive to ensure a fairer, greener Scotland.

“Achieving this has to be a team effort. We continue to build our services across a number of networks and partnerships to create the right environment and support for all enterprises keen to build a more democratic approach into their legal structure. Collaboration across stakeholders and intermediaries is critical to fully understand, respond and celebrate the value of these organisations is critical and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to this through the new proposed Economic Democracy Group recommended in the report.

“CDS has compiled many stories of successful, innovative and impactful IDBMs, learning from the entrepreneurs at the heart of these thriving organisations and sharing their experiences to increase awareness of their scope and importance. These can all be accessed through our past blog articles, case studies and podcasts

“Scotland has been ambitious in its vision for inclusive business models as they grow and embed across the economic landscape and within all sectors- from hospitality to creative industries, B2B, community energy, and health and social care.  As a service focused on developing commercially successful and sustainable IDBMs we welcome all initiatives that give a voice to these innovative models and inform future areas of support. This review recognises their value and importance in creating economic change that drives a fairer economy and derives wider benefits for the workforce. CDS is excited to be part of the discussion.”

Dispelling the myths of co-ops

We recently carried out some research with business advisors to get feedback around their perceptions of co-operatives and it was both an informative and eye-opening experience. We could see quite a few misconceptions across the piece, so we thought this provided the perfect opportunity to address some of these misconceptions and have created a brand-new video series called Dispelling the Myths of Co-ops. In our latest blog, marketing project manager, Helen Dickson shares the new video series. 

Co-op video Guide Introducing co-op and dispelling the myths. Graphic of scr scrapper, wind turbine, whisky still, bus, shop and solar panels
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Delivering real economic impact and commercial success without compromising value or social impact

Key learning from Scottish Government and Quebec Social Economy Policy Exchange


In May, Co-operative Development Scotland team leader, Darah Zahran, was invited to participate in the Scottish Government’s and Quebec Social Economy Policy Exchange Led by Social Enterprise World Forum and hosted by Chantier de L’Economie Sociale www.chantier.qc.ca. We caught up with Darah to find out more about what her key takeaways were from this insightful and inspiring programme.

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Employee ownership key to retaining and developing businesses in Northern Ireland

DLD Fund & Chartered Accountants Ulster Society Employee Ownership Breakfast Series – June 2024

Earlier this month, Co-operative Development Scotland employee ownership specialist Glen Dott was asked to speak at a series of breakfast events across Northern Ireland showcasing the success and uptake of employee ownership in Scotland. We caught up with him to find out more about the events and what is happening in Northern Ireland to support the model as a business succession option.

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The Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre to celebrate Scottish Co-operative Movement

A community group in West Lothian are on their way to creating the first centre dedicated to the story of the Scottish co-operative movement.

Group of employees from the Co-op Discovery Centre

West Calder & Harburn Community Development Trust (WCHCDT) plans to create a hands-on, experiential, fun discovery & learning centre based around co-operative heritage that will create a nationally recognised attraction with café and event space, boosting local footfall and creating jobs.

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Is starting a co-op right for you?

We’re getting ready to host our first co-op masterclasses next month. In the run up to the event we caught up with co-op specialist Suzanne Orchard to find out more about the new events and what is in store for those who sign up.

Picture of Suzanne Orchard“As Scotland strives to create a wellbeing economy, co-ops can play a critical role in realising that ambition.  They are proven to be resilient and contribute significantly to the economy, by delivering beyond the measure of GDP. They are democratic, fair businesses that place profit on an equal footing to planet and people, delivering positive impacts for the communities they serve.

 

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EOA Conference 2023 – Top 5 Takeaways

Collage of event pictures featuring stage with presentation, proudly employee owned logo and Glen Dott.

Our specialist adviser Glen Dott attended the recent EOA Conference 2023 which took place in Liverpool on 27-28 November 2023.  With 2 days of jam-packed activities, from keynote speakers, breakout sessions, silent theatre, fireside chats to the exhibition area, conference dinner and networking opportunities, we caught up with Glen for his top five takeaways from the conference: 

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Business Support Needs of Co-operatives in Scotland

Over the summer we issued an invite to the co-op sector to share their insights with us and help us inform our plans for 2023.  With the responses now in and feedback collated, our specialist advisor, Stewart Macgregor outlines some of the key findings in our latest blog article:

Stewart MacgregorAs the only public-sector-funded service in Scotland dedicated to supporting economic growth by increasing the number of co-operatives, Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) must ensure that co-ops have a greater role and voice to inform the areas of support that we provide.

With that goal in mind, we devised the ‘Business Support Needs of Co-operatives in Scotland’ survey to help us understand the key sectors that co-ops are working in, the support that new and existing co-ops have accessed in the last 12 months, and the areas of support they would benefit from over the next 12 months.

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Highlights from the Oxford Symposium

The second annual Oxford Symposium on Employee Ownership took place last month.  Organised by Graeme Nuttall OBE and Professor John Hoffmire, the aim is to bring together individuals and organisations active in employee ownership policy-making from across the world to share ideas and learning.   The number of nations represented was impressive: there were at least 20 countries attending including Australia, Japan, Denmark, Slovenia, Canada and the US. Co-operative Development Scotland were pleased to report strong Scottish representation and we caught up with Simon Poole of Jerba Campervans who shares his experience in our latest blog article. 

Group of Jerba Campervans employees standing in front of campervan

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No Succession-style drama here – Alexander (Scotland) & Co Ltd and Glen Drummond Chartered Accountants make the move to employee ownership

While one trades in Steel and the other in Numbers, two more Scottish companies – Alexander (Scotland) & Co and Glen Drummond Chartered Accountants – have proved they see the value in becoming employee-owned, handing their respective employees a 100% share via the creation of an employee ownership trust (EOT).

It is a choice being made by an increasing number of companies in Scotland as the employee ownership business model becomes more widely understood. We caught up with current owner of Mr Glenn Maclachlan of Alexander (Scotland) & Co and Chris Wilson CA, director of Glen Drummond to find out more about each of their moves.

Group of employees outside Alexander Scotland premisese. Company sign and vehicle visible in background
Employees from Alexander (Scotland) & Co Ltd based in Striling

“Alexander (Scotland) & Co Ltd has been serving steel customers across Central Scotland for almost 75 years. From humble beginnings at a small premises in Stirling, with just a horse and cart for delivery, the company has grown to forty employees with two premises in Stirling and one in Bathgate,” explains Glenn.

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An altogether different way to do business- with New Leaf Co-op

This Co-op Fortnight we’re joining with Co-operatives UK and the co-op sector to celebrate how co‑operatives offer an altogether different way to do business. We thought this was a great opportunity to catch up with an established co-op. In our newest blog article, Sally Green of Edinburgh based New Leaf chats to us about why a co-op model works for their members and their customers and how its helping them navigate the challenges of the cost of living crisis.

Sally Green sranding outside New Leaf Co-op with a box of produce

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Meet our specialist advisors

Last month we launched our brand-new Inclusive Business Models Video Guide which demonstrates the type of business models our team can support. Each video stars one of our specialist advisors so in our latest blog article, we’re shining a light on them to find out more about who they are and why they love working with employee-owned businesses and co-ops.  

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Scotland welcomes three new employee-owned businesses

It was a great start to 2023 for employee ownership as three Scottish businesses implemented an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), safeguarding the long-term future of their companies, retaining jobs, skills and investment. We caught up with Clare Alexander, Head of Co-operative Development Scotland, to find out more.

SVM Glasgow, Stoneywood Care Services in Denny and Oliver Chapman Architects in Edinburgh have all made the move to employee ownership since the start of 2023.  Our team were pleased to be involved in the early stages of the process for each by providing advice and support via a 100% funded ownership succession review and employee ownership feasibility study.

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From EO sceptic to EO evangelist

As part of our recent Employee Ownership Learning Journey we had the pleasure of hosting Andrew Lane, MD of Leeds based Union Industries as our after dinner speaker. Andrew shared his 15 years’ experience of employee ownership with the audience and describes how he moved from EO Sceptic to EO Evangelist….

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The legal aspects of the employee ownership transaction

Our Employee Ownership Explained Webinar Series kicked off last month with Graeme Nuttall sharing his insight on the employee ownership landscape and view of the future. The series continues with spaces still available at the remaining events. These expert webinars, aimed at professional advisers, will explore different aspects of employee ownership, equipping the audience to support their clients in making informed decisions.

In advance of the second webinar, we caught up with guest speaker, Bruce Farquhar from Anderson Strathern, for his thoughts on best practice when it comes to implementing the EOT.  

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Leadership Succession at Union Industries

We’ve just launched a free learning journey to the North East & Tayside area of Scotland to showcase examples of effective employee ownership in successful, growing businesses.

To help give a flavour of what to expect as part of the learning journey we caught up with guest speaker, Andrew Lane of Union Industries. Andrew was appointed in 2014 to lead Union Industries into employee ownership, the chosen exit strategy for founders Paul and Isobel Schofield, affectionately called Mr & Mrs S by the Union Industries family.

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