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OPINION: What Ross-shire enterprises have learned from coronavirus crisis a year on – and what the Federation of Small Businesses wants from Holyrood hopefuls


By David Richardson

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Hector Mackenzie took this picture of Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie...
Hector Mackenzie took this picture of Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie...

MARCH 9 last year saw me join a fantastic collection of Wester Ross businesses in the Gairloch Hotel for Visit Wester Ross and the Wester Ross Biosphere’s excellent ‘Sustaining Wester Ross’ conference.

The talk then was of quality experiences, working together and slow tourism, with the endless rumble of Brexit churning away in the background. It’s hard to believe, but Covid was hardly mentioned. Two weeks later the whole world changed.

So what has the last year meant for FSB Scotland? The short answer is that it has brought what was already a small and very effective team even closer together, enabling us to make much greater use of individuals’ knowledge, skills and abilities to assist our members through this incredibly difficult time.

We exist to help FSB members achieve their ambitions, and for the majority of members the main ambition over the past 12 months has been survival. We have been involved in daily conversations with Scottish Government ministers and/or civil servants, influencing both the amount of money they put into business support and the way support schemes are devised and targeted, and our colleagues in Westminster have been doing the same with the UK Government.

It is gratifying to see how often politicians and others refer to our work in the media. We have also been holding regular online networking events and webinars to keep members connected and informed, and we have been playing very active roles in local resilience groups, comprising local authorities, HIE and other agencies and businesses organisations.

With thoughts now turning from pandemic crisis to reopening and recovery, what are the lessons learned? Two stand out. The first is that life is not going to return to normal for cash-strapped businesses as soon as we reopen. Things are going to remain tough for many, and we are making the case to government for continued financial support for those businesses in greatest need until circumstances improve.

We can’t have them fall at the final fence. The second is that the many problems that businesses faced before Covid have not gone away; in fact some have grown. With the forthcoming Scottish Elections in May in mind, FSB Scotland has published a small business manifesto, ‘From Recovery to Prosperity’ – available on our website – which identifies policies that all political parties can adopt now to help make this country an even better place to start up and grow businesses.

While many smaller Ross-shire businesses don’t have their troubles to seek, the pandemic has demonstrated just how resilient they are. With every reason to expect a buoyant tourist season, if we maintain the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that has carried us through the pandemic thus far, and we all keep as much of our trade local as possible, then the future can indeed be bright.

David Richardson is development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses in the Highlands and Islands.


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