After a summer of sun and fun – and of course the Commonwealth Games – things are about to return to normal with the end of the school holidays.
It tends to be this time of the year that businesses across the country refocus their efforts on a strong end to the calendar year, perhaps even taking a fresh look at opportunities to expand revenue further.
We’ve seen many terrific examples this year of how organisations across the country have done this by working co-operatively.
During the Commonwealth Games, the Merchant City Marketing Co-operative helped promote the events linked to the Commonwealth Games – as well as the wider calendar of events and attractions throughout the year.
The Food from Argyll consortium was busy too, helping feed hungry festival-goers and showcasing their produce stalls at BBC at the Quay and the popular Belladrum Festival.
For each of the individual businesses involved in both organisations, such exposure and opportunity may not have been possible on their own.
By coming together, however, they have opened up new markets, boosted sales and increased awareness of their brands, both collectively and as individuals.
And as the nights start to draw in, now is the perfect time to start thinking about how working in such a way can boost your business.
From Sarah Deas, Chief Executive, Co-operative Development Scotland
For Co-operative Development Scotland it’s an opportunity to shine a light on the positive contribution that co-operative and employee ownership models are playing in the Scottish economy. Working with the Supplier Development Programme, we’ve been helping businesses to 